AIADMK General Secretary EPS Demands Special Relief for Delta Crop Damage

AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), has strongly urged the TVK government to immediately disburse special drought-relief compensation for farmers in the Cauvery Delta districts who have suffered extensive crop damage due to unseasonal heavy showers and canal water shortages. Addressing a press conference at the AIADMK headquarters in Royapettah, EPS accused the administration of turning a blind eye to the agrarian crisis, pointing out that paddy crops ready for harvest have submerged in districts like Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam. The AIADMK supremo demanded that the state agriculture department deploy special inspection teams to assess crop loss without bureaucratic delays and ensure direct bank transfers of ₹35,000 per acre to affected farmers. He also criticized the delayed opening of direct paddy procurement centers (DPCs), noting that farmers are being forced to sell their produce at distress prices to private intermediaries. Agricultural experts and farmer associations have echoed these demands, emphasizing that prompt state intervention is critical to prevent widespread agrarian distress in the state's granary region. The ruling government's agriculture ministry has yet to release an official response regarding the augmented relief package demands.