The Tamizhaga Cauvery Vivasayigal Sangam has sought the revival of issuance of ‘chita’ document manually by village administrative officers since farmers, tenant farmers in particular, are unable to avail loans or measure their paddy at direct purchase centres.

Addressing the media at Mannargudi on Saturday, July 19, after chairing a meeting of State and District-level office-bearers of the association, its general secretary P. R. Pandian said the VAOs, of late, refused to issue ‘chita’ documents manually citing an instruction from the Revenue Administration and Disaster Management Department’s circular that ‘chita’ documents should be obtained online only.

The instruction directly impacted the tenant farmers as it would not be possible to obtain the ‘chita’ in their name, particularly those entered into lease agreement with temples and trusts, whereas the ‘chita’ document was a vital document to avail insurance cover for the crops and measuring of the same after harvest. Hence, the association sought revival of manual issuance of ‘chita’ by VAOs, he added.

The issuance of ‘Uzhavar Attai’ (identification cards for farmers) had also been suspended. Already, non-issuance of ‘Uzhavar Attai’ to the tenant farmers had kept them away from availing benefits extended to the farming community through various welfare schemes implemented for its uplift.

The State government should initiate steps to make tenant farmers also eligible to avail the welfare assistance by announcing that a certificate from VAO would be suffice to avail the benefits.