The Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations of Tamil Nadu has sought clear directions to the delta farmers from the State government on the sowing technique to be adopted for samba cultivation in view of the current storage position at the Stanley Reservoir, Mettur.

In a statement on August 28, Committee president P.R. Pandian said that announcing the date for release of water from the Stanley Reservoir for samba cultivation without guiding farmers on the sowing method to be adopted for samba cultivation would be of no use. It would be better to have a tripartite discussion on which type of sowing, either direct or raising of nursery, should be adopted during the ensuing samba/thaladi season before lifting the shutters for irrigation, he said.

Farmers should be advised whether to go for short- or long-term varieties. The availability of paddy seeds should be ascertained before deciding on the number of days and quantum of water to be released from the dam.

The State government should prevail upon the Karnataka government to release the due share of Tamil Nadu in Cauvery water as per the final order of the Supreme Court since all the dams in Karnataka have full storage, Mr. Pandian added.

The Tamil Nadu Chicken Traders Federation on Monday announced that the sale of chicken will be suspended in the State from July 31. Federation president B. Durairaj said the decision was a sequel to the broiler companies failing to adhere to the broiler feeding control regulations laid down by the government at the time of despatching the broilers from farms.

As per the government regulations, he said, feeding of broilers should be stopped before 12 hours of the intended/scheduled time of delivery at the farm gate. But the broiler companies continue to violate these regulations, leading to the transportation and sale of chicken under unhygienic conditions.

As the repeated demands of the federation failed to evoke a positive response, it had been decided to put off the sale of chicken from July 31. Chicken traders in Puducherry have extended their support to the decision taken by the federation, he added.

The rank lists for admission to over 7,000 seats in undergraduate courses in agriculture offered through the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore, and Annamalai University, Chidambaram, were released by Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister R. Vinoth at the Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Agriculture College and Research Institute, Echankottai, in Thanjavur district on July 3.

While R.P. Madhavarajan of Surampatti, Erode, and M. Merlin of Mannarkolakudi, Cuddalore, shared the first place with an aggregate of 200 each, five girls and three boys scored 199.50 each were among the top 10 candidates under the General Rank List.

The list of selected candidates for admission under the Ex-Servicemen Quota, Differently Abled Quota, Eminent Sports Person Quota, and State Government School Quota (7.5%) for both academic and vocational streams were released on Friday.

Addressing the students, the Minister called upon them to contribute towards sustainable agriculture development through organic farming.

A ‘Clean Thanjai’ campaign, aimed at cleaning up roads, traffic islands, parks, and other public places in Thanjavur Corporation limits was launched on Saturday.

Collector R. Revathi inaugurated the campaign and inspected the cleaning drive along with V. Deepana Visveswari, Commissioner, Thanjavur Corporation, and other officials.

Under the campaign, apart from cleaning the public spaces, beautification, and greening initiatives will be taken up. The initiative was aimed at presenting a cleaner and greener Thanjavur to tourists, both domestic and international, Ms. Revathi said in a press release.

The Cauvery Rights Retrieval Committee has exhorted the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kaazhagam government to ensure that Karnataka complies with the final award given by the Supreme Court in the Cauvery water dispute.

Committee coordinator P. Maniarasan told The Hindu in Thanjavur on May 21 that the Cauvery River Protection Committee in Karnataka, headed by the retired Supreme Court Judge V. Gopala Gowda, convened a meeting on May 9 this year and had passed a resolution urging the Karnataka government to file a review petition in the Supreme Court.

Claiming that the allocation of 177.25 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu was on the higher side, the CRPC wanted their State government to file a review petition seeking reduction of the allocation to Tamil Nadu.

Stating that the failure on the part of the successive governments in Tamil Nadu to ensure the interests of the State were protected in the Cauvery water sharing issue had emboldened the CRPC to make such a demand, Mr. Maniarasan called upon the TVK government in Tamil Nadu to take a firm stand on the issue and protect the interest of the State without any compromise.

While urging the State government to take steps on priority to get the Tamil Nadu’s due share in the Cauvery for this water year before May 30, as directed by the Cauvery Water Management Authority in its recent meeting, he urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to constitute an expert committee to visit Karnataka to inspect the dams across the Cauvery river in Karnataka and the site selected by that State government for the construction of a new dam at Mekedatu.

Industrial park

The CRRC has urged the new government to withdraw the previous DMK government’s proposals of setting up industrial estates through the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) at Sengipatti in Thanjavur district and at Korkai in Tiruvarur district.

Formation of industrial parks for encouraging industrial activities other than agriculture- related project would nullify the objective with which the Tamil Nadu Protected Agricultural Zone Development Act was enacted in 2020, he added.

Three employees attached to TASMAC wine shop in Thiruvidaimaruthur taluk, Thanjavur district were temporarily suspended pending departmental inquiry over the allegation of collecting ‘extra money’ from customers.

According to sources, the suspended employees serving as supervisors and salesman at shop number 8152 at S. Pudur area in Thiruvidaimaruthur taluk, had allegedly collected ₹20 over and above the maximum retail price printed on the products.

The departmental inquiry was a result of media reports that the S. Pudur TASMAC retail outlet employees were demanding ‘extra money’ from the customers. The Deputy Collector-cum-TASMAC Thanjavur District Manager, K. Thamizhmani, issued notices to K. Manoharan and G. Arumugam, supervisors, and M. Sekar, salesman attached to the S.Pudur shop, indicating that their services were temporarily suspended from the afternoon of May 17, pending departmental inquiry.

The annual festival of Poondi Our Lady of Lourdes Basilica (popularly known as Poondi Matha Kovil) near Thirukkattuppalli in Thanjavur district culminated on May 15 with lowering of the holy flag.

The festival commenced on May 6 with holy flag hoisting and followed by Holy Mass during the ‘nava naatkal’ (novena days). On May 14 evening, the decorated idol of the Lady of Lourdes was placed on a car and pulled by the believers on the Basilica premises.

On May 15 morning, a Memorial Holy Mass of former Parish Priest V.S. Lurde Xavier and Royapper were held, according to a Basilica release.