Sivaganga farmers flag gold loan age bias, encroachment, street light gaps at grievance meet

Farmers in Sivaganga district raised several grievances at the district-level grievance redress meeting held on Friday, including the refusal by public sector banks to offer gold loans to individuals aged above 70 years. The meeting, chaired by District Collector P. Akash at the Collectorate, was attended by senior officials including the District Revenue Officer Selvasurabhi, Additional Collector Ayush Venkat Vats, Joint Director of Agriculture Sankaralakshmi, and Managing Director of the District Cooperative Bank Uma Maheswari.

A farmer, Bharat Raja, said public sector banks were not giving gold loans to people above 70 years of age and sought the district administration's intervention. He also alleged that cooperative banks and societies, which had extended loans to farmers, were visiting their homes even at night under the guise of collection.

Another farmer, Ayyachami, asked why 'karuvelam' (Prosopis juliflora) trees had not been felled in the district despite a High Court directive. He sought a response on the delay. Responding, the Collector said the process had begun. He said the administration would issue notices to patta landholders and complete the removal in a time-bound manner. He added that once the trees were felled, the forest department would assess their value for public auction.

Several farmers also complained that the Bharat Net fibre-based internet service was not functioning properly, leading to connectivity issues for residents in rural and interior habitations.

While officials mentioned that water bodies (ooranis) would be desilted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, farmers urged them to first remove encroachments in existing water bodies and supply channels. They said that last year, many water bodies did not receive sufficient water due to encroachment, and this season officials should ensure 100 per cent water availability for irrigation. Though water was received from the Mullaperiyar river as per the ayacutdars' entitlement, it did not reach the fields, they claimed.

Farmers also drew attention to the irregular clearance of garbage in habitations despite awareness campaigns, saying open waste posed health hazards. They requested that municipal and panchayat officials be sensitised to the risks from improper waste disposal.

Another issue raised was the non-functional street lights on the Vaigai bridge in Ladanendal for several months. Farmers said pedestrians and cyclists were at high risk as vehicles often indulged in hit-and-run incidents, and urged officials to restore the lights on a priority basis.

The grievance redress meeting is a regular platform for residents to bring local issues to the attention of authorities. Officials present at the meeting assured that the concerns would be examined and appropriate action taken.