Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 8: The CPI(M)-led LDF Government in Kerala has failed to provide financial assistance to farmers who lost their crops in unseasonal summer rains, Opposition Leader in the Kerala Assembly Oommen Chandy said today.

The government had announced financial assistance and declared that all damaged crops would be procured and used for fodder. But the government had failed to fulfill the promises, he told reporters here.

The procuring price for paddy has been declared but the price for damaged crops was yet to be announced. ''The Civil Supplies Corporation officials in Kuttanad told me that damaged crops were not being procured,'' Mr Chandy alleged.

Stating that Chief Minister and other Ministers could not shy away from their responsibilities, Mr Chandy said if immediate steps were not taken to address the problems of the farmers in Kuttanad, it would lead to serious consequences.

Kuttanad had already witnessed suicide by three farmers following crop the loss.

He also accused the state government of not taking seriously the visit of the central team that came here to study the crop loss in the summer rains. The state government did not have a proper record of crop loss and gave varying reports, he said.

Moreover, there was no coordination between the state government and the Centre with regard to the central team.

The state government should have taken the initiative to bring the central team to the state, which had been delayed for days being constituted, he also charged.


UNI