Promises, assurances and support to solve their problems marked the interaction session of Tamil Maanila Congress president G.K. Vasan with farmers and villagers at Nochiodaipatti near here on Wednesday evening.
Farmers, mostly horticulturists, aired their long-pending grievances. Many expressed their worry about denial of pattas and difficulties in availing loans and other benefits offered by the government and inordinate delay in getting free power for farming. Cattle farmers wanted Aavin to increase milk procurement from them.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Vasan announced that genuine grievances would be taken to the knowledge of officials. Acacia (karuvelam) trees should be removed immediately. All tanks and rivers should be de-silted to improve groundwater storage. The government should set a time-frame to change land pattas to help next generation enjoy ancestral properties and avail other facilities, he said.
He expressed his dismay that even basic grievances remained unsettled. He had covered four districts far. The first leg of the campaign would end on November 1 and the second leg would begin in December and conclude in February.
Earlier, he laid a wreath at the memorial of farmer Arockiasamy of Nochiodaipatti, who was gunned down during a farmers’ struggle in 1978.