RANIPET: Farmers who have brought their paddy to a Direct Procurement Centre in Ranipet are caught in a precarious position as officials have not been procuring their produce for days now. With tonnes of their produce -- and months of toil -- being wasted in the open, exposed to unpredictable spells of rain, farmers are crying for a speedy resolution of the matter.
“I have brought 100 bags of paddy (80kg each). They have not even weighed by bags yet,” says farmer R Manikandan, who visited the centre in S Kolathur village. “They are not even explaining the reason for the delay.” Around Manikandan sit several other farmers, busy trying to find measures to avoid their produce from getting wet. Some are seen unpacking the paddy, drying it, and repacking the bags. Farmers claim a senior politician is behind the delay in procurement.
“There is an attempt to shift the DPC to another village,” allege a few farmers. KM Mohan, State president of Uzhavar Perunthalaivar Vivasayigal Sangam believes attempts are being made to shift the centre to Thennal village. The government issued procurement orders a week ago, but still nothing has happened here, rue farmers.
Mohan alleges that farmers here are being asked to pay kickbacks for procuring their paddy. “An agent of a local political leader has been charging farmers Rs 80 for every bag of rice procured,” he says. This, despite the government ordering the opening of a whopping 22 procurement centres in Ranipet.
When queried, S Nagarajan, Regional Manager of Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation, Vellore, said, “The delay in procurement was caused by the incessant showers because of the increased moisture content. Moreover, there was uncertainty about shifting the DPC to another location.” He assured the procurement would begin on Wednesday.