Latest news with #EesanMurugasamy
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
TN must initiate alternative alignment for IDPL project, Petroleum Ministry tells farmer delegation
The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has, in response to representation by farmers from the Western districts of Tamil Nadu for shifting of a 70-km stretch of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited's IDPL (Irugur-Devangonthi Pipeline) project from agricultural lands to the roadside of the national highway, taken a stand that the power for deciding on the alignment of the pipeline vests with the State Government. A delegation led by Eesan Murugasamy of Tamil Nadu Farmers' Protection Association that called on Minister of State for Petroleum Suresh Gopi in New Delhi earlier this month had reiterated its resolve to block the project, if a solution is not found. The delegation cited the impending projects by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for construction of bypass roads for Palladam, Kangayam and Vellakovil towns, to buttress their demand for laying of the pipelines along the roadside. The farmers said their earlier request for laying of the pipelines along National Highway 81 from Coimbatore to Karur was not accepted by the officials implementing the project on the ground that the pipelines could not be laid inside the three urban pockets (Palladam, Kangayam and Vellakovil) for security reasons. At the meeting facilitated by Tamil Maanila Congress leader G.K. Vasan, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas D.K. Ojha, told the farmers that the change in the alignment for the IDPL project along roadside would hinge on the approval of the Tamil Nadu Government for the proposed change in the alignment. The IDPL project, planned for a 270-km stretch from Muthur in Tiruppur district to Devakondi in Karnataka envisages laying of a second pipeline alongside an existing one laid 22 years ago across farmlands to a 70-km stretch from Irugur in Coimbatore district to Muthur in Tiruppur district for the oil pipeline project of Petronet CCK Limited. Due to the pipeline, the value of farmland had fallen down drastically, and even division of inheritance of the farmland with pipeline beneath has become tough. Stating that the affected farmers have been taking part in a sit-in protest for over 260 days, the delegation justified its decision to block the project if no remedial action is taken.
The Hindu
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Farmers plan large-scale participation in hunger strike on July 10 in Chennai opposing system of crop loans based on CIBIL report
Farmer organisations in Western region are apparently mobilising large-scale participation in the the hunger protest by like-minded entities on July 10 in Chennai opposing the insistence on CIBIL report by the Cooperatives Department for sanction of fresh loans for Kisan Credit Card holders. According to the leaders of the farmers' organisations, 80 per cent of the farmers are unable to secure crop loans and financial assistance for livestock rearing from cooperative societies due to the insistence on CIBIL report. According to Eesan Murugasamy, founder, Tamil Nadu Farmers' Protection Association, the circular issued by the Cooperative Department on May 26 stating that the CIBIL report would be checked for farmers seeking crop loans from cooperative societies had to be withdrawn. Farmers across Tamil Nadu are facing severe difficulty in getting crop loans from cooperative societies, also because of the pre-condition that they must not have availed themselves of loans earlier from nationalised banks. The cost of cultivation being higher in Tamil Nadu when compared to other States, the farmers are left with no option but to get loans from the Cooperative banks as well as nationalised banks to cover the entire expenses. Due to the unfavourable conditions, farmers who had taken loans in the past have not been able to repay the dues in time. The inability to repay education loans and crop loans had inevitably lowered their CIBIL score. The farmers have conveyed to the government that they decided to sustain their protests beyond July 10 if a solution was not found.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Farmers call for coordinated action by Central and State governments for mitigation of human-wildlife conflict
Conveying their concern over the persistence of wildlife-human conflict, farmers' associations in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts have urged the Central and State governments to get their acts together to mitigate the problem. While the Union government must launch a centralised helpline, the State government has to equip the forest personnel with walkie-talkies and other paraphernalia to address the issue, the Tamil Nadu Farmers' Protection Association has emphasised. Citing the recurring instances of human deaths due to attack by elephants in recent months, Eesan Murugasamy, Founder, Tamil Nadu Farmers' Protection Association, said the victims mainly constitute farmers and agricultural workers. The helpline will enable farmers to alert the Forest Department about presence of wild animals outside forest boundaries without loss of time, paving way for prompt action before damage is caused to humans and agricultural crops, Mr. Murugasamy said. Likewise, forest personnel at the field level must be equipped with wireless walkie-talkies for ease of communication with superior officers while patrolling in the forest areas. Farmers in Udumalpet in Tiruppur district and Mettupalayam-Karamadai belt of Coimbatore district who have been facing substantial losses due to damages caused to agricultural and horticultural crops by wild animals called for a decisive categorisation of wild pigs that venture out of the forest areas and destroy crops, and herds that move deep into human habitation and stays put in thickets, in management of human-wildlife conflict. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, it is learnt, has initiated action for establishment of a Centre of Excellence for human-wildlife conflict management, to find amicable solutions through advanced technologies, including AI, for management of human-wildlife conflicts. Based on interactions with the stakeholders, the ministry has decided to develop appropriate strategies for plausible actions to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. An advisory to deal with human wildlife conflict issued by the ministry during 2021 recommends coordinated interdepartmental action, identification of conflict hotspots, adherence to standard operating procedures, establishment of rapid response teams, formation of State and district level committees to review the quantum of ex-gratia relief, issuing guidance and instructions for expedited payments, and provision of adequate funds for ex-gratia relief to be paid to the affected persons in the case of death and injury. Species-specific guidelines were issued during 2023 for mitigation of conflicts arising from various wild animals: elephant, gaur, leopard, snake, crocodile, Rhesus Macaque, wild pig, bear, blue bull and blackbuck.
