The AIADMK co-ordinator, O. Panneerselvam, on Monday demanded immediate payment of compensation to farmers of the Cauvery delta for having suffered loss of paddy crop due to rain in December last year and January this year.
In a statement, he said crop on an extent of 1.5 lakh acres had been damaged and the compensation announced by the State government covered only those farmers who were affected till the middle of November last year. So far, no order had been issued to offer relief for those hit by the rain in the last two months. “It is surprising that the Left parties, which normally highlight issues concerning farmers, are silent,” Mr Panneerselvam pointed out.
At the Direct Purchase Centres (DPCs), paddy bags had got damaged due to the low rate of procurement, delay in sending the bags to godowns and the consequent increase in moisture content, the AIADMK leader said, appealing to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to ensure that at least 1,500 bags of paddy were procured a day through the DPCs and the paddy, awaiting procurement at the DPCs, be given proper protection.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, he and the party co-coordinator, Edappadi K. Palaniswami announced the expulsion of 77 functionaries from the party for working against the official candidates of the AIADMK in the urban local bodies’ polls. Seven of them were former councillors of the Madurai Corporation.
