Date:21/07/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/07/21/stories/2005072101241900.htm

Back Kerala seeks interest waiver for Wayanad farmers

Our Bureau

Thiruvananthapuram , July 20

THE Kerala Government is trying to get nationalised banks to introduce an interest waiver scheme for the farmers in Wayanad district, the Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, told the State Assembly on Wednesday.

He said that the Government was aware of the grave situation in Wayanad following a sharp fall in the prices of agricultural produces. Dairy farming is the only remunerative occupation in the district now.

According to the Government estimates, 180 farmers in the district had committed suicide.

The Government had released ex gratia payments to 167 families and the assistance due to the remaining families would be released soon, he said.

The Chief Minister also said that he had taken up the matter with the Union Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, several times. But the Minister had expressed inability to formulate a scheme exclusively for one district.

Even so, the State Government would still try to get the nationalised banks to come up with an interest waiver scheme, which was being implemented by co-operative banks, Mr Chandy said.

The Water Resources Minister, Mr Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, said that the land acquisition for the Palakappandi irrigation project had been included in the list of the fast-track schemes proposed to be commissioned by March 2006. Once commissioned, the project would irrigate large parts of the water-starved Chittur taluk.

The Electricity Minister, Mr Aryadan Mohammed, told the House that the Government had Mr V.I. Cherian, former Member (Distribution) of the Kerala State Electricity Board, to inquire into the circumstances that led to the electrocution of two persons in Kottayam district.

He added that the probe had been ordered in order to prevent similar incidents.

The Minister said that there was no need for any concern about the collapse of the retaining wall of the Urumi hydel project in Kozhikode.

The wall had been constructed according to Chinese design and would have stabilised within a year.

The wall collapsed due to sudden onrush of water from Poyilingapuzha on July 13. Steps had now been taken to rebuild the retaining wall with concrete foundation, he said.