Under the Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance scheme, about 23 lakh farmers have insured their crops spread over 34 lakh acres in Tamil Nadu in 2018-19, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami informed the Assembly on Tuesday.
He was responding to the Opposition’s demand for a waiver of farm loans. The Chief Minister said natural calamities and failure of the monsoon had affected farmers adversely, and the scheme would enable the government to provide compensation to farmers for losses due to calamities.
Separately, the Chief Minister said families of 18,692 poor persons were given ₹2,500 for conducting their last rites in 2018-19. “Of the ₹5 crore that was set aside for the purpose, ₹4.67 crore has been sanctioned,” Mr. Palaniswami said.
The Chief Minister said the Athikadavu-Avinashi water supply scheme would be finalised in the next four to five days, and the foundation stone would be laid by the end of the month.