Ryots await DPCs as harvest begins in Ranipet

RANIPET: With the harvest of samba paddy in progress, farmers are keeping their fingers crossed over the number and location of the Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) to be opened by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC).

Farmers have cast doubt on TNCSC, which normally opens DPCs at certain centres due to alleged interference of local politicos. “The opening of DPCs being in areas controlled by party functionaries leads to problems for farmers,” say some farmers unwilling to identify themselves.

“The TNCSC has promised to open 33 DPCs initially and the number will double once the harvest gathers pace,” a farmer said and added, “What worries us is the intervention of party functionaries. Such activities result in farmers being forced to shell out anywhere from Rs 50 to Rs 70 per bag of paddy to them to get their loads accepted by the DPC.”

While the Food Minister regularly says farmers need not pay anything more than the government fixed rates, this is never followed at DPCs, Panapakkam farmers said.

“What is galling is that payment of such amounts to party functionaries who have no connection to agriculture eats into the meagre earnings of farmers and affects their plans including repaying existing crop loans,” they said.

Meanwhile, TNCSC officials denied any political pressure to open DPCs in particular areas. “We open DPCs as and when required depending on the availability of paddy. We will open 33 DPCs next week,” officials said.

Elaborating, they added that this time DPCs were being opened early to avoid transport logistics issues.