: Puthiya Tamizhagam today urged the Tamil Nadu government to increase compensation to families of farmers who had committed suicide in drought affected districts from Rs three lakh to Rs 25 lakh and the drought relief fund from Rs 3000 to Rs. 15,000.
Party President Dr K Krishnasamy told reporters that the PT would hold state-wide demonstrations on February 6 in all districts in Tamil Nadu to press for this demand.
The PT president earlier visited drought hit villages in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts.
Dr Krishnaswamy claimed the present drought was the worst in over a century. The quantum of compensation announced by the state to families of those who had lost their breadwinners was just three lakh and relief amount ranged from minimum of Rs 5000 to maximum of Rs 30,000 depending pon whether the crops were rain fed or irrigated ones.
He alleged that over 250 farmers had committed suicide though the government officially maintained that it was 17.
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