Nearly 300 farmers in Ranipet yet to be paid for offloading paddy

RANIPET: Political interference and lethargy of TN Civil Supplies officials have resulted in 300 farmers not receiving payment for paddy they offloaded at DPCs at various places in Ranipet district, sources said.

Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam sources said, “payment is usually disbursed within a week after the DPCs receive paddy. But, this time, farmers have not received payment even after a lapse of three weeks.”

Even in the DPCs operated by NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers Federation) at Vanakambadi and Kupidithakkam villages farmers were yet to receive the payment.

VS Sankaran, a farmer, alleged, “only 8 farmers offloaded paddy at Vanakambadi and political interference resulted in others offloading their paddy at Kupidithakkam nearby.” Sangam’s youth wing state president R Subash said, “the government can close DPCs as no paddy is available. Though we cried ourselves hoarse demanding that DPCs be opened immediately after the last sornavari paddy harvest, the government turned a deaf ear resulting in farmers being forced to sell paddy to private traders. Hence there is not much paddy available now.”

Another farmer said, “As we have no storage space or drying yard, the continuous rain resulted in harvested paddy becoming black in colour. I lost 10 bags of paddy which I was forced to sell at Rs 11 per kilo just to get rid of the stock.”

However, what annoyed the farmers is the collection of Rs 60- 80 per bag, despite the Minister concerned stating that no cash needed to be paid at DPCs, still continuing due to interference by DMK functionaries. An example of political interference is the opening of Kupidithakkam DPC, which was blacklisted by the Collector, but opened due to intervention of local politicians.

When asked about non-payment for procured paddy, Collector D Baskara Pandian said he would look into it, while TNCSC regional manager Raja could not be reached for comment. However, officials seeking anonymity said, “delayed payment might be due to this being the off season.”

DPC staff insist on 17 pc moisture level; ryots block road

TIRUCHY: Farmers, who have been waiting for a few days in front of the DPC, staged a road blockade protest in Thanjavur on Friday claiming that the state government has not initiated any step to increase the moisture level of paddy for procurement.

According to farmers, heavy rains for the past five days drenched the paddy stocks kept in front of the DPCs at Vallam, Kalvirayanpettai and Alangudi. Due to the rains, paddy moisture condition increased beyond 17 per cent and so the DPC staff were refusing to procure the paddy and asked them to dry it.

Disappointed over this, farmers claimed that the staff do not come to the DPCs on time and limit the procurement with only 500 bags a day. It is due to the lethargic attitude of the DPC staff farmers are forced to face untoldmisery.

On Friday, the DPC staff continued to insist the moisture condition below 17 per cent and the irate farmers staged a roadblock protest at Alangudi. On information, TNCSC officials rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitating farmers. Following an assurance from officials that the procurement process would be speeded up, farmers dispersed from the spot. Traffic was disrupted for around three hours on Alangudi-Thanjavur Main Road.

Meanwhile, farmer leader PR Pandian charged that the state government had released water from Mettur in advance and allowed the farmers to increase the acreage of cultivation. Though, due to the early cultivation farmers made early harvest during the monsoon days, the government had not initiated any steps to increase the moisture condition well in advance. “The DPC staff continue to insist the farmers to maintain the moisture condition below 17 per cent claiming that the officials had instructed them to follow the norm strictly,” charged Pandian and added that the government should immediately revise the moisture condition otherwise, the entire harvest would go waste and thus the farmer would face heavy loss.