Coimbatore: "The government has failed to keep up the promise of including villages under Karamadai union of Mettupalayam in the Phase 2 of the Avinashi Athikadavu project. It is hugely disappointing to learn that there was no mention of the inclusion in the budget session as well", said Venugopal, State Secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association in Mettupalayam ( MTP) on Monday.
Coimbatore: "The government has failed to keep up the promise of including villages under Karamadai union of Mettupalayam in the Phase 2 of the Avinashi Athikadavu project. It is hugely disappointing to learn that there was no mention of the inclusion in the budget session as well", said Venugopal, State Secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association in Mettupalayam ( MTP) on Monday.
Questioning the State government for not keeping up the promise made during the MGR centenary celebrations of including Sarkar Samakulam, Annur, Thondamuthur and other villages under Karamadai union in the 2nd phase of Athikadavu-Avinashi project, the farmers staged an agitation in MTP on Monday.
Addressing the press, Venugopal, State Secretary of the association has expressed concern over the issue alleging that non-inclusion of these regions in the project is a huge deviation from the project, itself.
"The Avinashi-Athikadavu project was planned during Kamarajar period. The aim was to fill the pond up to Avinashi by draining a part of the surplus water from the Pillur dam from Athikadavu, during rainy seasons. But for the last two years, the project has been implemented from the Bhavani Sagar area near Kalingarayan canal", he noted.
He added that this has resulted in the elimination of areas under Karamadai Union under Mettupalayam like Sarkar Samakulam Union some parts of Annur.
"While farmers protested against exclusion of the aforesaid areas, the CM during MGR centenary celebrations in Coimbatore assured those areas which are eliminated will be included during the second phase of implementation. However, till date no efforts have been made to include the missed out areas. It is furthermore shocking, as no mention of the same was made during the recent budget announcement", he alleged.
The State Secretary pointed that deviating from the original plan to bring water from Athikadavu area will yield no results for the farmers.
He criticised the government for claiming the budget to be a farmer-friendly budget yet commiting a major blunder by not including the missed out areas in the project for which Rs. 1000 crore was sanctioned.
The State Secretary also proposed that during the planning phase of the budget, the State government should hold a consultative meeting with the farmers of the region to understand their pressing needs and allot funds accordingly. "Instead, consulting only with officials and devising a budget for farmers will not benefit us", he told.
He informed that the farmers have jointly expressed fear, if the State government would drop the 2nd phase of the Athikadavu-Avinashi project.
He concluded by requesting the State government to allocate sufficient funds to include the missed out areas and execute the project according to the original plan.
Questioning the State government for not keeping up the promise made during the MGR centenary celebrations of including Sarkar Samakulam, Annur, Thondamuthur and other villages under Karamadai union in the 2nd phase of Athikadavu-Avinashi project, the farmers staged an agitation in MTP on Monday.
Addressing the press, Venugopal, State Secretary of the association has expressed concern over the issue alleging that non-inclusion of these regions in the project is a huge deviation from the project, itself.
"The Avinashi-Athikadavu project was planned during Kamarajar period. The aim was to fill the pond up to Avinashi by draining a part of the surplus water from the Pillur dam from Athikadavu, during rainy seasons. But for the last two years, the project has been implemented from the Bhavani Sagar area near Kalingarayan canal", he noted.
He added that this has resulted in the elimination of areas under Karamadai Union under Mettupalayam like Sarkar Samakulam Union some parts of Annur.
"While farmers protested against exclusion of the aforesaid areas, the CM during MGR centenary celebrations in Coimbatore assured those areas which are eliminated will be included during the second phase of implementation. However, till date no efforts have been made to include the missed out areas. It is furthermore shocking, as no mention of the same was made during the recent budget announcement", he alleged.
The State Secretary pointed that deviating from the original plan to bring water from Athikadavu area will yield no results for the farmers.
He criticised the government for claiming the budget to be a farmer-friendly budget yet commiting a major blunder by not including the missed out areas in the project for which Rs. 1000 crore was sanctioned.
The State Secretary also proposed that during the planning phase of the budget, the State government should hold a consultative meeting with the farmers of the region to understand their pressing needs and allot funds accordingly. "Instead, consulting only with officials and devising a budget for farmers will not benefit us", he told.
He informed that the farmers have jointly expressed fear, if the State government would drop the 2nd phase of the Athikadavu-Avinashi project.
He concluded by requesting the State government to allocate sufficient funds to include the missed out areas and execute the project according to the original plan.