The Madras High Court has directed the State government to disburse within four weeks the allotted amount of ₹186.25 crore towards input subsidy to farmers of 17 districts where maize crops were damaged by the Fall armyworm, an invasive pest, during Rabi 2018-19.
Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad recorded the undertaking of Additional Government Pleader E. Manoharan that the money would be disbursed within four weeks and directed the officials in the agriculture department to adhere to the undertaking without seeking any extension.
Replying to a public interest litigation petition filed by one of the affected farmers from Salem district, the AGP told the court that a Government Order was issued on July 3, including ‘pest attack of severe nature’ as among the natural disasters eligible for relief under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Subsequently, on July 4, another G.O. was issued, sanctioning ₹186.25 crore, of which the largest amount of ₹33.08 crore had been allotted to Thoothukudi district, ₹32.18 crore to Perambalur, ₹27.38 crore to Salem, ₹22.20 crore to Virudhunagar, ₹18.03 crore to Tiruppur and ₹10.93 crore to Cuddalore district.
The remaining amount was apportioned among Tiruchi, Ariyalur, Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Dindigul, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Namakkal and Theni districts.