Tamil Nadu agriculture budget criticised for lacking drought relief measures

DMK president M. K. Stalin and AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami denounced the Tamil Nadu agriculture budget presented on Aug 7, saying it fails to address the severe drought affecting Delta farmers and offers no concrete relief. Stalin accused the plan of merely renaming existing schemes, asking, “Does this government think its job is done by merely affixing the ‘vetri’ label to schemes…?” Palaniswami added that promised procurement prices for paddy and sugarcane were omitted.

In contrast, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay praised the revised state budget and the agriculture outlay, describing them as people‑centric and growth‑focused. He commended Finance Minister N. Mariya Wilson and Agriculture Minister R. Vinoth for a plan that, he said, supports farming, livestock, fisheries, dairy, food processing and value addition, aiming to improve livelihoods across Tamil Nadu.