Thanjavur: A section of farmers, all wearing gunny-shirts, staged a walk-out from the agriculture grievance redressal meeting at collectorate here today.

Led by R Sugumaran, Vice-President of Joint Movement of Farmers’ Associations, the farmers staged a demonstration and raised slogans against he Karnataka Government for allotting funds for the construction of a dam across Cauvery river at Mekedatu. They also condemned the Central Government for not disbursing drought relief to affected farmers in Tamil Nadu.

“An abnormal situation is prevailing in Tamil Nadu now. Taking advantage of the situation, Karnataka has allotted funds for the construction of dam,” Sugumaran later told reporters.

He urged the Tamil Nadu Government to take steps to stop the construction of the dam.

The Government could not distribute any relief assistance to farmers due to political instability in the State, he said.

Sugumaran also warned that farmers would resort to self-immolation if any attempt was made to extract gas from the agriculture lands in Pudukottai.