Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Noon meal for ryots, farm hands

By Our Special Correspondent

Chennai Jan. 8 . Spurred by suicide committed by two farmers in the Cauvery delta region, the Tamil Nadu Cabinet today decided to provide free noon meal to small and tiny farmers and agricultural labourers and their families in all districts except Chennai.

The meal centres, now providing lunch to 75 lakh school children, will be thrown open to the farmers as well from Pongal, January 15, to stave off starvation among the farming community, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, announced here.

The Chief Minister also promised a cash compensation to farmers of the delta region, who could not take up cultivation, and the agriculturists who suffered crop losses, after collecting full details by February-end, when samba cultivation ends. Briefing the media here, Ms. Jayalalithaa said the noon meal scheme would start with "sweet pongal" on the menu on the inaugural day. Agricultural labourers and farmers who wished to have meal should register themselves at their respective panchayat or town panchayat offices and get coupons by January 13. The scheme for farmers would continue "as long as it is necessary".

The Cabinet also decided to enhance the compensation for coconut farmers who suffered heavy losses. For each completely affected tree, it would be raised to Rs. 150, while for every partially-damaged tree, it would be Rs. 50. The Government would intensify the food-for-work programme for the farmers, engaging them in lake, canal and temple tank desilting operations and other works.

As for crop losses running to several crores, following the failure of both the southwest and northeast monsoons, the Chief Minister said some of the farmers had raised kuruvai crop and suffered losses and some had taken up samba. Only after the completion of samba harvest by next month, could the total losses be worked out and compensation given, Ms. Jayalalithaa said.

However, she carefully avoided blaming the crop losses on Karnataka's refusal to release water as per the interim award of the Cauvery Tribunal. "Whatever I want to say on the issue, I will say at the Cauvery River Authority meeting," she said.

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