Farmers stage a protest at the grievance redressal meeting in Tirunelveli on Monday.
| Photo Credit: A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN
Tension prevailed at the District Collectorate here on Monday after a group of farmers staged a sit-in protest inside the hall where a grievance redressal meeting was being conducted.The protesters demanded immediate payment for paddy procured from farmers.During the meeting, chaired by Collector Anand Mohan, farmers led by Abraham of the Coordination Committee of Tamil Nadu All Farmers Association, sat on the floor and staged a protest. The Collector and other officials held talks with the farmers, who subsequently withdrew the protest.In their petition, the farmers said the paddy cultivated during the ‘pisanam’ season in the district was harvested in March and procured through the Central government’s procurement centres. However, payments for the procured paddy were being delayed for several months.Many farmers were struggling to repay existing loans and were being forced to borrow again to commence the next cultivation season. Despite staging several protests, the dues had not yet been settled. The district administration must take immediate measures to release the payment, it added.The farmers also sought permission to conduct another sit-in protest at the Collectorate on July 8 on the same issue. Published - July 06, 2026 08:11 pm IST
