PMK assures support to farmers, stages stir for opening of DPCs

Vellore

Though the district administration set up more than 80 DPCs last year, this year only 29 have been opened irking farmers whose paddy were getting drenched in night showers. Speakers alleged that the DPCs’ list was revised four times after the first one was issued by the agricultural department last month. Sources also alleged that “though the DPC staff stopped collecting commission of up to Rs 18 per bag after officialdom took them to task recently, it is now the DMK men who are demanding the same as they say they need cash to meet expenses for the upcoming civic polls.”PMK functionaries, who held the ‘dumping paddy’ agitation also blamed Ranipet MLA and Handlooms Minister R Gandhi for the present fiasco, “as he is unable to rein in local functionaries.” What irked DMK men was that “they were not recognised by farmers, who for DP- related issues sought Sholingur’s Congress MLA AM Munirathinam’s help. How can farmers reach out to the Congress when the DMK is ruling the state,” asked a DMK functionary.