Many of the public sector banks were refusing to give gold loan to persons above 70 years, said farmers at the grievance redress meeting held in Sivaganga district on Friday.
District Collector P. Akash presided over the meeting held at the Collectorate in which senior officials, including DRO Selvasurabhi, Additional Collector Ayush Venkat Vats, JD (Agriculture) Sankaralakshmi and District Cooperative Bank MD Uma Maheswari and others participated.
A farmer Bharat Raja said that PSBs were not giving gold loans to persons above 70 years. The district administration should intervene. He also alleged that the cooperative bank/societies, which had given loans to the farmers’ knocked at their doors even during nights under the guise of collection.
Ayyachami, a farmer wanted to know the reasons for not felling ‘karuvelam’ trees in the district. Despite High Court directive, the trees had not been removed and sought a response. Intervening, the Collector said that the process had begun. The administration would issue notices to patta lands and complete the process on a time bound manner. He also said that as and when the trees were felled, the forest department would be entrusted with the task of ascertaining the value so that they could be auctioned in public.
Many other farmers said that the Bharat Net Seva has not been working properly. As a result, connectivity has been a major issue for the public residing in rural pockets and interior habitations.
When the officials said that under the national employment guarantee scheme, ooranis would be desilted, the farmers wanted them to remove encroachments in the existing waterbodies and also the channels.
Last year, due to the encroachment, many of the waterbodies did not get enough water. At least this season, the officials should ensure that 100 per cent water for irrigation was in place. Though the Mullaperiyar river water was received as per the ayacutdars right, it did not reach the fields, they charged.
Though there have been campaigns through multiple modes to keep the surrounding clean and green, waste dumped in habitations were not removed regularly. As a result, the open garbage posed health hazards and the farmers pleaded that the municipality and panchayat officials should be told about the risks due to irregular clearance of garbage.
The absence of street lights along the Vaigai bridge in Ladanendal has not been replaced for many months. As a result, pedestrians and persons using bicycles were at a high risk as vehicles indulged in hit and run. The farmers urged the officials to accord top priority to make the street lights functional immediately.
Published – August 21, 2026 08:48 pm IST
