PWD body seeks compensation for farmers, agriculture labourers

TRICHY: Senior Public Works Department (PWD) engineers who convened a 'Cauvery Protection' seminar on Saturday, urged the state government to pay Rs25,000 per acre to agricultural labourers as compensation for crop loss. They also urged the state to pay Rs25lakh as solatium to the kin of farmers who had lost their lives. Similar resolutions were also adopted at the meeting held in Tiruvarur, organized by various farmers' bodies on Friday.
During the seminar, jointly organized with the association of TNEB Engineers, A Veerappan, state secretary of senior PWD engineers' association, said the Centre should constitute Cauvery Management Board (CMB), without passing a resolution in Parliament, as it did in the case of Narmada, Gothavari and Krishna river disputes. The ruling AIADMK government should pressurize the Centre in this regard.
No major irrigation projects had been executed across the Delta region for the last 50 years. In contrast to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had spent Rs 1lakh crores on irrigation projects in recent years. If the Tamil Nadu government come forward to execute similar schemes, the association said they were ready to ensure proper execution of such projects.
Tamil Desiya Periakkam president P Maniarasan, Thanjavur District Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, Swamimalai R Vimalnathan, Cauvery Delta Farmers Association President, Cauvery S Dhanapalan, P Ayyakkannu, state secretary of Desiya, Thenninthiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam and other functionaries from various farmers' associations participated.
Similar resolutions were also passed during the conference on Cauvery Rights Protection held at Tiruvarur. Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam and Tamil Manila Vivasaya Thozhilalar Sangam had organized a conference where CPI leader R Nallakannu addressed the gathering.
Farmers also wanted the state to announce Tamil Nadu as drought hit.
If their demands were not met, they would stage a massive protest in front of the district headquarters on December 26.