DMK calls ‘all-party meet’ to deliberate TN farmers’ woes

Chennai, Apr 13 (PTI) Slamming the Central and Tamil Nadu governments for not holding talks with agitating farmers, DMK today announced an ‘all-party’ meeting on April 16 to discuss the issues faced by the ryots in the state.
DMK Working President M K Stalin said he has invited “all political parties” for a meeting on April 16 here to discuss the woes of the farmers.
After discussing the farmers’ problems and looking into their demands, the governments at the Centre and State will be urged to fulfil their demands, he said in a statement.
A similar ‘all-party’ meet was held by DMK in November last year over the Cauvery issue, but most parties in the state had stayed away from it then.
Stalin said severely hit by drought, Tamil Nadu farmers were pushed to the extent of holding protest in New Delhi, adding the state too did not get its share of Cauvery water as per the inter-state water dispute tribunal’s final verdict.
It was “anguishing,” that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Chief Minister K Palaniswami were in a frame of mind to hold talks with the farmers and find a solution to their problems, he said.
Stalin, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly said, he had given an assurance to the agitating farmers in Delhi that his party would convene an ‘all-party’ meeting to discuss their problems.
DMK had convened a similar meeting of all parties to discuss the Cauvery issue on October 25 last year and urged the state government to give a compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre for delta farmers and convene the State Assembly to discuss the matter.
However, ruling AIADMK, BJP, MDMK, CPI(M), CPI and VCK did not take part in the meeting.
AIADMK had dismissed the meeting as a “meet of DMK, its allies and not an all-party meeting.”
DMK’s allies Congress and IUML, besides G K Vasan-led Tamil Maanila Congress and some farmer’s outfits had participated in the meeting last year. PTI