THANJAVUR: DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday said that despite the BJP-led Union Government's advisory against incentives to paddy farmers, the DMK Government will ensure a fair price.
Campaigning for eight candidates of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in Thanjavur, Stalin said that the Union Finance Ministry, headed by Nirmala Sitharaman, had sent a letter to the Tamil Nadu government stating that incentives provided for paddy cultivation were leading to increased production. He added that the letter claimed this rise in production was causing issues and suggested that the state government should stop providing incentives to paddy farmers.
"This is a treacherous act against farmers. Will the opposition leader Edappadi Palaniswami condemn his master BJP, at least for this action?", Stalin asked. DMK will scuttle any attempts by BJP and AIADMK to discontinue the incentive for paddy cultivation and will continue to ensure a fair price for the farmers, he added.
Stalin further said, "During the four years of Edappadi Palaniswami's rule, the incentive for paddy was not increased even by a rupee." However, during the DMK government, the incentive for the fine variety of paddy was increased from Rs 70 to Rs 156 per quintal, and for the common variety from Rs 50 to Rs 131 per quintal, he added.
"During the last five years, a total of Rs 2,500 crores was given as incentive, and 30 lakh farmers were benefited", Stalin said.
Pointing out that the paddy procurement price was increased to Rs 2,500 per quintal as promised in the 2021 manifesto, he said the price will be further increased to Rs 3,500 per quintal as promised in the 2026 manifesto, if the DMK government comes to power for a second term.
He also said that, as the BJP feared defeat in the polls, they have disenfranchised crores of people across the country through the SIR exercise. Now they are trying to rig the elections by posting officers friendly to them. "Tamil Nadu has been the best example for peaceful elections. For the first time, officers, including the Chief Secretary, were transferred citing the election," Stalin said.
He questioned why the BJP-AIADMK alliance was so afraid, adding that voters have already made up their minds to elect “Dravidian Model 2.0.”
Stalin also slammed the BJP for increasing the price of commercial LPG cylinders, stating that it has led to a rise in food prices, including tea, and forced many eateries to shut down.
"While Modi convened an emergency meeting over the issue, nothing concrete was done," Stalin said, adding that the "Union Government has been concentrating only on transferring the officers in the states not ruled by BJP."
Responding to Edappadi Palaniswami’s remarks that Stalin may have “gone” if the pandemic happened when DMK was in power, the CM said that death will eventually visit every one. "However the schemes introduced by me will remain forever in Tamil Nadu. Those benefited by these schemes will remember me forever", he added.
