With rains failing the State, the Tamil Nadu Government today said it would soon come out with a drought relief package to also cover farmers of non-Cauvery delta regions.
“Since the drought has affected the whole State, the Government is finalising a relief package for non-delta districts also and this will be shortly announced by the Chief Minister (J. Jayalalithaa),” Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam said in his budget for 2013-14 tabled in the Assembly.
A drought memorandum was being submitted to the Central Government, he said, amid a walk out by Opposition DMK led by its Legislature Party Leader M.K. Stalin.
Stalin read out a statement which was not audible as ruling benches thumped the desks loudly.
With the entire state except Chennai affected due to drought, the Government had ordered waiver of land revenue.
“This has enabled the State increase the eligibility for employment under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme up to 150 days per annum per family and gave much needed relief to agricultural labour affected by drought,” the Minister said.
On the relief package announced for Cauvery delta farmers, severely affected due to deficit rainfall and Cauvery crisis, he said the total compensation package was Rs 541 crore which had been disbursed directly to bank accounts of over three lakh farmers.
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had announced Rs 15,000 an acre as crop loss compensation and special compensation, including advance against insurance payments to those farmers who had suffered more than 50 per cent crop loss.
Besides, she had also directed that Government would bear the farmers’ entire share of insurance premium in the Cauvery Delta Area this year, he recalled.
Further, with the notification of the final order of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, Government was now taking immediate steps to have Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) constituted.
The Government had moved the Supreme Court in this regard on March 18, 2013 praying for a direction to Centre to form CMB and CWRC without further delay.
“This will ensure that from this year onwards, Karnataka can be compelled to release due share of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in time,” he said.