NCP urges Centre to immediately release compensation to farmers

Kozhikode, Mar 22 (UNI) The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Kerala today urged the Centre to immediately release adequate compensation to farmers, whose crops were destroyed in the torrential rains in the state.

Talking to newspersons here after visiting the worst affected Kuttanad area in the state, NCP State President K Muraleedharan said a memorandum had been submitted to Union Agriculture Minister and NCP President Sharad Pawar, giving a detailed account of the natural calamity.

Party General Secretary Pitambaran Master would also call on Mr Pawar in New Delhi to personally apprise him of the problems faced by the farming community in the state.

Quoting government sources, he said crops worth more than Rs 50 crore were destroyed in the incessant rain lashing the state during the last couple of days.

Ruling out NCP national leadership's suggestion to forge an electoral alliance with UPA partners, he said it was not possible as the party considered Congress as its main enemy in the state.

This viewpoint had already been communicated to the national leadership, he said.

He said the state conference of the party would be held at Thiruvananthapuram on March 26.

More than one lakh party workers were expected to participate in the meeting, he added.

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