Farmers who lost crops to natural calamities and were yet to receive compensation for the damage from the government, during the farmers’ grievance meeting held here on Friday, demanded the District Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon to expedite the disbursal process. 

Muthuramu, district president, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, said that farmers who lost crops like paddy, millets, chilly, cotton, and others to excess rains and drought conditions, received the crop insurance amount, but the assistance extended by the State government was yet to be provided to them.  

An official responding to their queries informed that as ₹38 crores crop insurance amount was already distributed to the affected farmers, they have sought ₹27 crores from the State government to provide monetary assistance to the farmers.  

Other farmers raised issues of rampant growth of seemai karuvelam on water bodies and vacant lands.  

Vijayan, a farmer from Malangudi, said that due to the uncontrolled growth of the invasive species, the water level has drastically fallen.  

“This not only affects the water supply for drinking purposes and agricultural purposes but also reduces the water holding capacity of the Earth,” he stated. 

Mr. Simranjeet Singh Kahlon assured the farmers their grievances would be addressed by the respective departments at the earliest.