Sugar mill petitions CM for evacuation of Chinna Thambi

TIRUPUR: The employees of Amaravathi Cooperative Sugar Mills Limited, backed by Anna Thozhilalar Sangam (AIADMK wing) and Labour Progressive Federation (LPF, DMK wing) faxed a petition to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday, seeking his help to remove Chinna Thambi from their property. 

The tusker, over has damaged sugarcane crops and this would severely affect the crushing work in summer, they claimed. According to the mills’ Managing Director T Ramanidevi, the field has nearly 26 varieties of sugarcane cultivated with the help of the Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore. Around eight acres of crop were ready for harvest. However, presence of the wild jumbo was hampering regular work, she pointed out.

The management had already taken up the issue with the district administration; it planned to appeal to higher officials soon, she added. It may be noted that the mills had stopped sugarcane crushing work over the past two years. However, it was set to resume operations this April. Chinna Thambi destroying the crops now would have a severe impact on the works. The mills employed as many as 1,000 workers; the sugarcane crops raised benefitted up to 20,000 farmers. 

C Shanmugavel, General Secretary of Sugarcane Farmers Association and former AIADMK MLA in Madathukulam, urged the government to come up with a solution at the earliest.