Farmers protest demanding ₹2,000 cr. for Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar river linking project
Farmers in Tamil Nadu are protesting against the state government's budget allocation for the Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar river linking project, demanding ₹2,000 crore instead of the proposed ₹150 crore. They argue the current funding is insufficient to make meaningful progress on the long-term irrigation initiative.
Why it matters
It highlights regional agrarian concerns and the fiscal challenges of large-scale infrastructure projects in India.
Farmers representing the Cauvery-Vaigai-Kiruthamal-Gundar Irrigation Farmers’ Federation (Affiliated) and the Southern District Farmers’ Association staged a protest here on Wednesday demanding an allocation of ₹2,000 crore for the river linking project.
The maiden financial Budget presented in the Legislative Assembly by the newly assumed Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, has triggered widespread disappointment among agrarian communities in the southern districts.
The Budget earmarked an allocation of ₹150 crore for the long-awaited Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar link canal project, hailed as a half-century dream initiative for southern Tamil Nadu.
The project is designed to provide irrigation facilities for eight lakh acres of land across seven districts: Karur, Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar and Thoothukudi.
However, farm leaders sharply criticised the financial outlay, pointing out its inadequacy. According to M. Arjunnan, General Secretary of the federation, the allocated sum was insufficient to excavate even 5 km of the canal.
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