Collector M. Prathap receiving petition from farmers at the grievances redress meeting held in Nagercoil on Friday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGMENT
Kanniyakumari District Collector M. Prathap on Friday said that crop loans amounting to ₹327 crore have been waived, benefitting 96,722 farmers in the district, one of the highest numbers in the State.He was addressing the farmers’ grievance redress meeting held at Kanniyakumari district collectorate in Nagercoil.During the meeting farmers raised various issues.They urged the forest department to take steps to curb the increasing menace of monkey and wild boar damaging agricultural lands. Farmers pointed out that the district has a large number of banana cultivators, next to coconut, and sought measures to export bananas.Farmers further requested the district administration to increase the number of paddy procurement centres in the district, stating that delays in paddy procurement last year had adversely affected them. They also sought the repair of automatic surplus weir at P.P. Channel.Responding to the concern, a senior official from the Water Resource Department (WRD) said that a proposal for the repair of the automatic surplus weir had already been sent to the government.At the meeting, Mr. Prathap asked the officials to submit a progress report regarding the restoration of waterbodies and waterways affected by the NHAI’s four-lane work and railway work in the district. He directed the officials to take adequate measures to desilt the Manakkudiyan canal.The Collector further announced that 8 new paddy procurement centres would be established in the district.District Revenue Officer M. Velumani, Joint Director of Agriculture M.R. Vani, PA (Agri) to Collector S. Geetha and other officials were present at the meeting. Published - July 31, 2026 07:42 pm IST
