Collector S. Saravanan presiding over the agri grievance meeting held at the Collectorate in Dindigul.
| Photo Credit: G. KARTHIKEYAN
Opposing the ‘forced’ acquisition of their farm lands, a group of farmers affiliated with the Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam and others submitted a memorandum to the District Collector to stop it forthwith and save the green cover on Friday.
The issue stirred a controversy for sometime as the farmers’ had tied a piece of black colour cloth around their mouth and appeared before the Collector S. Saravanan and other officials at the monthly grievance meeting.
Insisting that he would receive the memorandum and directed them to remove the black piece of cloth, the Collector listened to the grievances. He assured that he would examine with the officials concerned and take it up with the government.
When the meeting commenced, farmers’ wanted encroachments cleared in the water bodies. The Collector said that clearing the encroachment, desilting and strengthening the bunds were a perennial work which was supervised by multiple departments. Out of 252 tanks identified, 60 among them were cleaned up. Likewise, the works in other tanks and canals would be taken up, he assured.
When a farmer Panneerselvam said that a tree was uprooted in Vilampatti and that it had not been removed for long time, the Collector said it would be removed immediately.
Farmers from Oddanchathiram said that crop loans were refused by officials, he said that it would be amicably settled by the officers immediately and loans would be sanctioned for eligible applicants, he said.
There was no surveyor in Chattirapatti and farmers pleaded to post an officer, to which the Collector said that he would examine the feasibility and get it redressed shortly.
A farmer identifying himself Paramasivan said that he had been walking from one office to another seeking patta transfer for the last three years. Though the government and higher officers claimed that ‘Ungaludan Stalin’ is a service which comes to the doorsteps of the petitioners. “I have been moving from pillar to post for the last 36 months. Nothing has happened….” he pleaded to the Collector, who directed the officials to get it done at the earliest and give a compliance report.
Deputy Director (Horticulture) Gayathri said that proposal to the government had been sent seeking sanction for relief to horticulture growers’ who lost their mangroves. The farmers’ from Ayakudi complained that pachyderm menace was rampant and not only crops were destroyed, but even posed threat to human lives.
During the meeting, quality tested and certified seeds were given to farmers and the officials appealed to them to use the same for their crops.
Published – July 25, 2025 09:33 pm IST
