Members of various political parties in the Assembly urged the State government to take steps for the benefit of farmers who, they said, were affected by successive spells of drought.
Participating in a debate on a call attention motion, Communist Party of India (Marxist) member A. Laser wanted the government to declare most of the districts drought-hit and said only such a measure would help to increase the number of days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from 100 to 150.
‘Relax norms’S. Gunasekaran of the CPI urged the government to relax norms for drought relief to farmers. E.V. Velu of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam suggested that crop loans be waived.
At the end of the debate, Revenue Minister R. B. Udhayakumar said the government was closely monitoring the rainfall position and the storage of reservoirs. It would take required steps.
