Procure paddy in 50 kg bags, demand ryots

TIRUCHY: Farmers demanded that the procurement for the upcoming samba season be made in 50 kg bags instead of the conventional 40 kg ones. They raised the appeal during the tripartite meeting held in Thanjavur on Thursday.

The tripartite meeting ahead of samba procurement was held in which the farmers demanded hassle free procurement and asked the government to ensure no backlog of paddy bags. They also demanded to curb the irregularities in the DPCs.

As rains were predicted during the harvest of samba and thalady, the farmers demanded to release a permanent GO directing to procure paddy with moisture content up to 19 per cent.

They also said that the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Marketing and Agri Business Department has been procuring paddy in 75 kg bags, while fertilizer and other multi-grains are procured in 50 kg bags, only the TNCSC had been procuring items in 40 kg bags.

“We need to part a bribe of Rs 50 per bag of 40 kg paddy in addition to two kg paddy more and the farmers are at the receiving end and so the government should reconsider the system and order to procure 50 kg bag which would ease the farmers to a certain extent,” said Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, Secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Protection Association.

He also demanded to fix Rs 2,500 per quintal of paddy as per the election manifesto of DMK.

Responding to the farmers, Food Minister R Sakkarapani who presided over the meeting said that steps are initiated to stock the paddy in covered godowns. He asked the farmers to use the toll free number to lodge complaints about the irregularities taking place at DPCs. “We will initiate proper action against the staff who are involved in any kind of irregularities,” Sakkarapani said.

Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam said, the farmers will not face the problems they faced during the past years. “There is a plan to open 650 DPCs in Thanjavur, 550 in Tiruvarur and 350 in Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam and they would be monitored by the officials,” Panneerselvam said.

Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Collectors from Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam, farmers from various districts took part in the meeting.