The consultative meeting, chaired by P. Srinivasan, president of the Tamil Farmers’ Association’s Madurai district, was attended by state president O. A. Narayanasamy, Southern Districts Farmers’ Association general secretary M. Archunan and deputy president Ayyanar. The groups cited a promise made by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay during the recent assembly election to cancel farm debts.
Among the demands, the associations called for a total restructuring of the state’s crop‑insurance programme, arguing that premiums are paid by each farmer and compensation should be disbursed based on the actual loss on an individual farm. They urged that any pending insurance payouts be released without delay.
The statement also demanded that drought‑relief assistance be provided immediately once an area is declared drought‑affected, and that all major dams—including Mettur, Vaigai, Pilavakkal and Petchiparai—be desilted. Desilting of irrigation tanks and other water bodies was listed as a parallel priority.
Farmers asked the government to eliminate reported irregularities at paddy procurement centres and to extend direct procurement to maize, cotton and chili. They further sought free electricity for those who have been waiting after paying large sums for “tatkal” power connections.
Additional relief measures sought included a ₹20 lakh compensation package for families of farmers who die in natural disasters such as thunderstorms, snakebites, wild‑animal attacks or electric shocks, as well as compensation for crop loss caused by wildlife. The groups also proposed a ₹20,000 incentive to support food‑production activities, replacing the distribution of low‑quality tools like spades and crowbars.