Farmers complain of fleecing at Manapparai cattle shandy

Farmers in Manapparai shandy complain of contractor fleecing, while other agricultural issues are addressed by district officials.

Farmers representatives have complained of fleecing by the contractor vested with the task of collecting entry fee at the famous cattle shandy at Manapparai in Tiruchi district.

The Manapparai shandy is one of the biggest and well known cattle shandies in Tamil Nadu. The shandy is held from Tuesday evening to Wednesday afternoon every week when thousands of heads of cattle are traded. The shandy grounds is maintained by the Manapparai Municipality.

Raising the issue at the monthly farmers grievances redress meeting here on Friday, V. Chidambaram, district secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, affiliated to the CPI (M), alleged that farmers were being fleeced by the contractor who has bagged the contract for collecting entry fee to the shandy. “Farmers were being forced to pay ₹150-200, way above the stipulated entry fee of ₹100 per head of cattle. Buyers are forced to shell out ₹300 for every head of cattle purchased even though they are not required to pay any exit fee. Vans and lorries are charged an entry fee of ₹500 against ₹50; they are also charged anywhere between ₹3000-5000 while exiting, depending on the number of heads of cattle they were transporting. The fees are being collected by a group of rowdies deployed by the contractor,” Mr.Chidambaram alleged and added that basic amenities at the shandy were very poor.

The Manapparai Municipal authorities, after a recent agitation staged by the association members, had assured that the contract would be cancelled if excess fee was collected. A signboard notifying the stipulated fee would be put up at the shandy and receipts would be issued for the fee collected, they had said. But the fleecing continued at the shandy the very next day, charged Mr. Chidambaram, who was supported by a few other farmers too.

Collector M. Pradeep Kumar, who was in the chair, directed the Revenue Divisional Officer to inspect the shandy and submit a report to him.

Later, responding to a complaint about the pollution caused to the Mettu Vaical in Musiri from P. Ayyakannu, president, Desiya Thennidiya Nadigal Innaippu Vivasayigal Sangam, the Collector promised to personally inspect the irrigation canal and initiate appropriate action. Mr. Ayyakannu alleged that Municipal sewage was being directly let out in the canal, posing a health hazard to the farmers using the canal water for irrigation.

M. P. Chinnadurai, district president, Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, urged the district administration to take effective steps to prevent the pollution to Uyyakondan, Cauvery and Kollidam rivers due to the discharge of sewage into them.