With the Cauvery water being released from the Mettur dam ahead of the customary date of June 12, the focus has turned to whether the government will provide a package of assistance for this year’s Kuruvai cultivation season.
Last year, after opening the dam on June 12, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced the package to the tune of ₹61.09 crore. Such a package was sanctioned after a gap of three years. Consequently, an additional area of 1.69 lakh acres was brought under cultivation, besides the normal Kuruvai area of 3.21 lakh acres, making a total of 4.9 lakh acres. During the just-concluded budget session of the Assembly, the government called the coverage the highest in 46 years. It expects around 5.22 lakh acres to be covered this year.