21-12-2016

Removeinvasivetreespeciesin13districts:
HC
Collectors told to remove seemai karuvelam by Jan. 10
TheMadrasHighCourtBenchhereonTuesdaydirectedCollectorsofall13districtsunderitsjurisdictiontoweed
outseemaikaruvelam(prosopisjuliflora)treesfromwaterbodies,rivercoursesandallotherplaces.

TheorderwaspassedonapublicinterestlitigationpetitionfiledbyMarumalarchiDravidaMunnetraKazhagam
generalsecretaryVaiko.

Reportsought
ADivisionBenchofJusticesA.SelvamandP.KalaiyarasanorderedthatthetreesberemovedbyJanuary10and
individualreportsfiledbeforethecourtonJanuary11.

Thejudgesmadeitclearthatthetrees,harmfultotheenvironment,shouldberemovedwiththeassistanceofthe
localbodies,PublicWorksDepartmentandothergovernmentbodies.

Inhispetitionpendingsincelastyear,Mr.Vaikoalsosoughtadirectiontoofficialstopreventthegrowthofthe
species,besidesundertakingremedialmeasurestoundothedamagecausedbythetrees.Heclaimedthatthetrees
turnthelanddrybysuckinggroundwaterandpoisoningit.

Thetreeswerefirstintroducedinthecountryin1960.TheywerebroughtfromAfricatobeusedasfuelwoodand
nowtheyhavegrowninhugenumbersinthesouthernpartsoftheState.Thetreesdestroyotherplantsandcrops.

Theyaredetrimentaltoagricultureandithasbeenscientificallyproventhatitturnsthesoiltoxicandmakesitunfit
forcultivation,heclaimed.

PointingoutthattheHighCourtBenchhadalreadyissuedadirectiontotheStateonJanuary9,2014toremovethe
seemaikaruvelamtreesonawarfooting,hesaid:Evenafterthecourtdirection,theauthoritiesdidnottakeany
effectivestepstoremovethetrees.

Trainingprogrammeheld
Farmersparticipatedinatrainingprogrammeonintegratedcropmanagementingroundnutandseasamecultivation
inUnathurvillageinThalaivasalBlockonMonday.Theprogrammewasorganisedundertheauspicesof
AgriculturalTechnologyManagementAgency(ATMA)toexposeintegratedmanagementtechnologiesofoilseed
cropssuchasgroundnutandseasame.

C.Ranganathan,AssistantDirectorofAgriculture,inhisinauguraladdress,explainedintegratedpestmanagement
techniquesingroundnutandsesamecultivation.R.Anathan,DeputyAgriculturalOfficer,explainedtheintegrated
diseasesmanagementtechniquesinoilseeds.K.Rajendran,blocktechnologymanager,explainedseedtreatment,
earthingupandgypsumapplicationandpostharvesttechnologyofthesecrops.

Ademonstrationbyexpertsalsoformedpartoftheevent.

ErodeMarketingCommitteeplanstraining
programmeonetrading

ErodeMarketingCommitteehasscheduledatrainthetrainersprogrammelaterthisweektoexpanddissemination
ofturmericetradingmethodologyamongfarmers.

TheparticipantscomprisingfieldlevelofficialsofAgriculture,HorticultureandAgriMarketingdepartmentswill
beinitiatedintothetrainingbyJointDirectorofAgriMarketingMohammedIqbal.

Lastweek,farmerstransactingatPerunduraiTurmericComplexPerunduraiRegulatedMarketat
KarumandisellipalayamwereorientedontheprocessbysecretaryofErodeMarketingCommitteeL.Kolandaivelu
andotherseniorofficialsofAgricultureandHorticulturedepartments.

DistrictCollectorS.Prabakarhasinstructedofficialstobringaboutaconsensusamongfarmersandbuyersone
trading,atthesprawlingPerunduraiRegulatedMarketwhere11,000metrictonneshavebeentransactedsinceits
launchatthestartofthisyear.
TheMarketComplexhasgodownswithstoragecapacityof15,200metrictonnes,transactionshedsandother
facilities.Forestablishingtheecosystemforetrading,aproposalhasbeensenttothegovernmentforsanctionof
fundstocreatetherequiredapparatusforcleaning,sorting,gradingandqualitytesting,officialssaid.

Earlierthismonth,CommissionerofAgriculturalMarketingS.J.ChiruvisitedthePerunduraiRegulatedMarket,
which,heannounced,wouldbeoneamong10regulatedmarketsidentifiedforelinkingalongwithfiveagricultural
producerscooperativemarketingsocieties.

Thetwoothermajorturmericmarkets,ErodeAgriculturalProducersCooperativeMarketingSocietyat
KarunkalpalayamandtheonerunbyErodeTurmericOwnersandTradersAssociationatSembampalayam,whichis
underthecontrolofErodeRegulatedMarket,havealreadyinstalledsoftwareforetrading.

Atalaterstage,thesemarketswillbeintegratedintotheelinkproject,sourcessaid.

CreditplanforRamnadreleased

AspartoftheabovePLP,anareadevelopmentschemeondairyactivitieswouldbeimplementedinfourblocksat
anestimatedprojectionofRs.80.15crore,hesaidaddingthebankswouldgiveimportancetosmallandmarginal
farmersandhelpthemtoearnassuredincome.

S.Mathiazhagan,DistrictDevelopmentManager,NABARD,saidfarmerswouldbeencouragedtodoubletheir
incomebyraisingtheproductivityandtakeupdiversifiedfarmactivitieswithspecialfocusonproducinghighvalue
agricultureproducts.

B.UmaMaheshwari,CRM,IndianOverseasBank,Thoothukudi,receivedthefirstcopyofPLP.Subbiah,Regional
Manager,PandyanGramaBank,ThoothukudiRegion,andK.S.SureshBapu,LeadBankManager,IOB,were
present.
NABADsaidthatthecreditrequirementofshorttermcroploanwasestimatedatRs.1446.42croreandtermloan
foralliedsectorsatRs.610.85crore.Theestimateformedium,smallandmediumenterprisesectorstoodat
Rs.162.33crore,itsaid.

AspertherevisedguidelinesonprioritysectorlendingbyReserveBankofIndia,creditpotentialforagriculture
infrastructure,foodandagroprocessingsector,exportcredit,education,housing,renewableenergy,involvingbank
credit,wasestimatedatRs.77.75crore,Rs.83.56crore,Rs21crore,Rs.360crore,Rs372.00crore,andRs28.87
crorerespectively,itsaid.

AdditionalfundsforKrishiBhagyascheme
ThegeneralbodymeetingoftheKalaburagiZillaPanchayatunanimouslypassedaresolutiontoallocateRs.5crore
asadditionalfundsfortheKrishiBhagyascheme,hereonTuesday.

ThemeetingalsopassedaresolutiondemandingthattheUniongovernmentfixtheminimumsupportpriceforred
gramatRs.7,000aquintal.

PresidentoftheKrishikaSamajSiddaramappaPatilDangapurandzillapanchayatmemberGautamV.Patilsaid
thatfarmersshouldgetatleast50percentmorethantheweightedaveragecostofproductionasperthe
recommendationsoftheM.S.SwaminathanCommitteereport.TheyalsodemandedthattheStategovernmentsetup
procurementcentresingrampanchayats.MohammadJeelaniMokashi,JointDirector,AgricultureDepartment,and
officialsoftheLeadBanksaidthatofthe1,03,055farmerswhosufferedcroplossduringthekharifseasoninthe
district,theadministrationhaddisbursedcompensationto81,388.ZillapanchayatpresidentSuvarnaMalaji,vice
presidentShobaSirasagi,andzillapanchayatchiefexecutiveofficerAniruddhSravanwerepresent.