Trifurcation of TNCSC created staff shortage in Ranipet DPCs: Official

RANIPET: The trifurcation of the Vellore unit of the TN Civil Supplies Corporation into separate entities for Ranipet, Vellore and Tirupattur districts recently is likely to hamper DPC operations in Ranipet district, sources said.

Farmers’ association sources revealed that harvest was already in full swing in one lakh acres in the district. “We would like to request the district administration to open DPCs soon so that farmers can send their stocks to them” Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam general secretary S Udayakumar said.

When asked about this, Collector S Valarmathi revealed that “opening of DPCs would be based on paddy arrivals and they would start functioning from either February 28 or March 1.”

Sources said that orders have been issued to open 30 DPCs from March 1. However, farmers were peeved that DPCs were being opened in locations where harvest was not over whereas areas like Ulianallur, Asaneillkuppam, Attupakkam and Palalur, Sendamangalam and Kilvenkadapuram in Nemili taluk where harvest was nearly over were yet to get DPCs, sources added.

TNCSC Ranipet regional manager Devapriya told DT Next that “we have sent a proposal to the state government to open 80 DPCs in different parts of the district similar to last year. However, work might be affected due to lack of staff as only 20 subordinate officials were provided to Ranipet district after trifurcation.”

However, farmers are worried that procurement should be without political interference as in the last season there were largescale complaints of this nature. Also, DPC staff demand up to Rs 70 per bag to offload 80 kg paddy bags from farmers and to convert them into 40 kg bags for onward transit to CSC godowns when rules stipulate that no mamool be collected. “Political interference combined with mamool collection in DPCs from farmers will hit us hard financially and we do not understand why government fails to act when this malaise can be easily investigated and checked,” lamented a farmer refusing to be named.