As campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls entering the next phase with the completion of filing of nominations, candidates contesting in the mostly-agrarian Pollachi constituency have assured farmers of meeting their long-pending demands.
Being a region known for coconut and coir production, candidates of major political parties are promising better packages for the sector.
Speaking to reporters in Pollachi, AIADMK’s A. Karthikeyan said that fall in the price of coconut and allied products has been a concern for farmers for several years. He also assured of voicing these concerns of the farmers in the Centre, seeking a revamp of the sector.
In the 2019 general elections, DMK’s K. Shanmugasundaram won the seat, defeating AIADMK’s incumbent MP C. Mahendran.
DMK’s candidate for the upcoming election K. Easwaraswamy said he will intervene at the Centre to ensure better prices for coconut and copra.
Highlighting one of the long-pending demands of coconut farmers, Mr. Easwaraswamy said he will strive hard for the supply of coconut oil through ration shops.
He also assured the farmers of setting up a centre for coir-based value added products, which will create more employment for women and generate income for farmers.
BJP’s K. Vasantha Rajan said that Pollachi constituency’s typical geography comprises places like Pollachi where coconut is the main crop, Valparai that has high range crops, place like Madathukulam with sugarcane cultivation, and Thondamuthur where man-animal conflict is high due to which farmers are suffering.
“If BJP is voted to power, the government will implement Bharat coconut oil just like the Bharath rice and Bharat dal introduced by the Central government. At present, the Coconut Development Board Office is situated in Chennai whereas Pollachi is the region known for the cultivation of the crop. It will be shifted to Pollachi if BJP wins,” he said.
All the major candidates have assured people of implementing the Anaimalayar and Nallar projects to increase the area of irrigation, in addition to the existing Parambikulam Aliyar Project.
