RANIPET: Arakkonam MLA S Ravi on Sunday urged Ranipet Collector J U Chandrakala to immediately reopen government-run direct procurement centres (DPCs) in the district to procure the remaining Sornavari harvest.
The demand came after Ravi’s visit to Seyyur panchayat on Saturday, where he found around 15,000 bags of harvested paddy dumped in the open.
In his petition to the collector, the AIADMK legislator stated, “In Ranipet, 45 temporary DPCs were set up during the Sornavari season and paddy procurement was under way. However, on August 26, all centres were abruptly closed and have not reopened since. As a result, farmers have been forced to leave their produce in open fields and on roads. Due to untimely rains, the unprotected paddy is getting wet and spoilt, leading to major losses for the farmers.”
He urged the collector to reopen at least 30 centres to facilitate procurement and prevent further losses.
Ravi also pointed out that DPCs in neighbouring districts are functioning without hindrance and said a similar arrangement should be ensured in Ranipet.
Earlier in August, the Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association had also appealed to the district administration to open more DPCs to complete procurement of the Sornavari crop.