Farmers: No procurement at DPCs sans paying bribe

TIRUCHY: Farmers from Kumbakonam claimed that they were being forced to pay Rs 125 as bribe for every 100 kg of paddy that they sell to the DPCs across the region and staged a walk out from the grievance meet on Thursday.

The farmers’ grievances redressal meet chaired by RDO Poornima was held at Kumbakonam division. Farmers complained that the DPC staff have been demanding bribes from the farmers for procurement. They marched towards the RDO wearing black badges and raised slogans to curb the bribe menace in the DPCs. Claiming that the DPC staff were demanding Rs 125 per 100 kg paddy and if farmers refused to pay it, their paddy was not being procured, the farmers charged.

Subsequently, they walked out and staged a protest outside charging that the farmers have lost more than Rs 625 crore unnecessarily due to the attitude of the DPC staff. “We have approached the DVAC against this menace and they are maintaining an unusual silence on the issue,” claimed Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, who led the protest.