TIRUNELVELI

Cadre of the Left Parties staged demonstrations at 77 places in Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts on Tuesday seeking COVID-19 relief of ₹ 12,500 to every family, besides giving essential commodities.

The protesting Left Party functionaries said the nation-wide COVID-19 lockdown declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi without any preparation had left the public, especially the below poverty line families, in the lurch.

Hence, the State Government, while streamlining the distribution of free essential commodities thorough the public distribution system to ensure the proper distribution, should give financial assistance of ₹ 5,000 while the Centre, on its part, should give ₹ 7,500. The number of working days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme should be increased to 200 for the benefit of rural poor. Moreover, the MNREGP, now being executed only in village panchayats, should be extended to town panchayats also.

The micro, small and medium enterprises should be given interest-free loan of ₹ 10 lakh without any preconditions so that the MSMEs, after paying their employees salary arrears, could resume production.

The Centre’s move to withdraw free power for farm sector should be given up, they said.

Virudhunagar

The cadre staged joint protests at more than 100 places in Virudhunagar district. CPI (M) district secretary K. Arjunan, who took part in a protest in Srivilliputtur, said weavers of that area were badly hit. With lack of availability of yarn, they could not continue their livelihood.

At a protest held in Seithur, CPI district secretary P. Lingam said due to lockdown, all income-generating activities had come to a grinding halt and a majority of the people suffered untold difficulties.

Farmers who had cultivated various crops like banana, jackfruit, cashew and vegetables could not sell their produce and faced severe economic loss, he said, adding the government should give adequate compensation to them.

Some banks and private institutions were pressurising people to pay instalments.

Madurai

Member of Parliament Su. Venkatesan took part in a protest which was held in seven locations across the district including one in Sellur.

Speaking to the press, the MP said, “The Centre has used the time of the lockdown to provide many relaxations to industries, thus favouring large corporations and moving focus away from labourers on the ground.”

He said the Tamil Nadu government must investigate alleged irregularities at ration shops on the pretext of providing cooking essentials to the public.