Chennai, May 23 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday launched the Rs 227 crore Kalaignarin All Village Integrated Development Programme, which will benefit over nine lakh farming families.

The programme will be jointly implemented by the State Agriculture Department in close coordination with the Rural Development Department in all the 12,525 village panchayats across the state in a period of five years.

Inaugurating the scheme, Stalin said that coconut saplings, horticultural saplings, kit for vegetable garden, and sprays required for farming would be distributed.

He also said, in a statement, that 100 per cent subsidy would be provided to Adi Dravida families for sinking wells in drylands, employing drip irrigation, and digging farm ponds.

Stalin said that setting up Farmers Producer Organisations by consolidating farmers in select villages and providing them with technical expertise would help strengthen integrated development in the farming sector.

He also said that through such schemes villages would become self-sustainable and would help people migrate from rural areas to urban areas.

State Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam had, during the recent Assembly session, announced the launching of the programme for fulfilling the needs of the farmers.