Thanjavur: A group of farmers, all wearing garlands of leaves, staged a demonstration at the collectorate here today protesting against the State Government for not announcing any relief to the drought-hit farmers in the budget.

Led by the Vice-President of Joint Movement of Farmers’ Associations, R Sugumaran, the farmers besieged Collector A Annadurai during the agriculture grievance redressal meet.

They also resorted to a dharna by squatting on the floor and then staged a walk-out from the meeting venue pressing their demands which included an appeal to Government to waive all the agricultural loans, distribution of Rs 25,000 per acre and Rs 25 lakh to the family of farmers who had died of shock or committed suicide as their crops failed.

The farmers raised slogans pressing their demands.