Farmers demand new agriculture office in Vedaranyam block

Farmers in Vedaranyam Block demand new agriculture office due to deteriorating conditions, officials working cautiously in unsafe structure.

Farmers in Vedaranyam Block are demanding the construction of a new agriculture office due to the deteriorating condition of the existing building.

The Block Agriculture Office, which also houses the Horticulture Office, was recently relocated to the old RDO office after the building began to crumble. Despite this, agricultural inputs and seeds are still stored in the unsafe structure, forcing officials to enter with extreme caution.

V. Maniyan, from the village farmers’ association, called for immediate action, stating that a new office is urgently needed to better serve the farming community. Farmers regularly visit the agriculture office to register under various government schemes, receive incentives, obtain seeds, and benefit from special packages like the Kuruvai special package and crop insurance. However, the old RDO office, where the agriculture office is temporarily operating, lacks adequate seating and facilities for the farmers, while both the agriculture and horticulture offices are suffering from a severe space crunch.

A senior official from the Agriculture Department acknowledged the problem and confirmed that efforts are underway to identify a suitable location for the new office. “The old dilapidated structure belongs to the Highways Department, and constructing a new office there would hinder the movement of lorries transporting agricultural stocks. We are committed to sending a proposal for a new building as soon as a suitable site is found,” the official said. He also mentioned that they are searching for a new block office for Thirumarugal, where the current office is also outdated and inadequate.