News Tamil Nadu

AIADMK Gen Sec Edappadi Palaniswani Demands DMK Govt End ‘Cruel’ Use Of Students For Agricultural Survey

November 13, 2024
The Commune

The MK Stalin-led DMK Government has enlisted agricultural college students to support a large-scale digital crop survey across Tamil Nadu. However, the students report resource constraints, safety issues, and disruptions to their academic schedules. Assigned to implement the Union government’s AGRISTACK initiative, the students face a lack of travel allowances, inadequate sanitation facilities, and extensive late-night travel as they work in remote areas. Initially, the crop survey’s responsibility fell to Village Administrative Officers (VAOs). However, after VAO associations raised concerns about their workload, the task was reassigned to Agriculture Department officials a few months ago. Due to staff shortages, agricultural students from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) and affiliated institutions were subsequently drafted for the survey, which was conducted via a mobile app.

As reported in The Hindu, many students cited logistical hurdles, such as the lack of correction mechanisms within the app and restricted permissions, causing issues in accurately recording crop data. “We receive no travel allowance and often reach home late at night after returning to campus for safety,” shared a second-year student. Technical issues with the app have also disrupted survey activities. “The app crashes frequently, which delays the process significantly,” said an Assistant Agricultural Officer from Pudukkottai. With the crucial samba planting season underway, department officials expressed concerns about the impact on their regular duties and the backlog accumulating as they focus on survey work.

The Union government initiated the AGRISTACK project to digitize agricultural data, with an intended budget of ₹2,817 crore, of which ₹1,940 crore is allocated for Tamil Nadu.

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palanisami Condemns DMK Govt

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has condemned the DMK government for relying on students for this project, calling it an inappropriate solution that leaves students “under immense stress.” He emphasized that other states have engaged revenue departments or private agencies for similar surveys and criticized Tamil Nadu’s government for not utilizing available funds appropriately. On his official X handle, EPS wrote, “The central government has allocated funds to digitize all the details including the area of ​​agricultural land, its classification and cultivation details across the country and has advised all the states to complete this survey by April next year. While many states have undertaken this work through the revenue department or through private agencies, the incompetent Mr. @mkstalin’s DMK government is carrying out survey work with agricultural college students in Tamil Nadu, and the students’ education is being affected and they are likely to be harmed by poisonous animals like snakes and scorpions, so the parents of the students are very angry with this government; Therefore, immediately release the students of the agricultural college from this work and provide additional remuneration from the funds provided by the central government to the revenue officials to complete this work on time. I had urged Stalin through my report. But the incompetent government has not taken any action so far. In this case, today, a student studying second-year Hons (Agri) at Aravindar Agricultural Technical College/B.Sc of Tiruvannamalai district was bitten by a poisonous snake while walking on the border to carry out land survey work in Sengam Circle, Vaividanthangal village, and is admitted to Thiruvannamalai Government Hospital in critical condition. Another student was stung by a wasp and is receiving treatment, according to reports. It is not acceptable for Stalin’s DMK government to engage agricultural college students across Tamil Nadu in such dangerous work. The safety of students is very important. Instead of playing with the lives of the students, it is very cruel. Therefore, I urge the Chief Minister to immediately intervene in this matter and hand over this work to the revenue department or the private sector from the funds provided by the central government and immediately relieve the students of the agricultural college from this work. Otherwise, I warn this government that there will be a very big protest on behalf of the affected agricultural college students.”

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