THANJAVUR: The members of DMK and its allies on Sunday staged a demonstration in Thanjavur against the Union Government's refusal to relax the moisture norm of paddy to 22% for procurement in Direct Procurement centres (DPCs).
The cadre of the parties who gathered under the banner of Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in front of Thanjavur head post office on Sunday raised slogans against the Union Government for its refusal to relax the moisture norm and failure to compensate the farmers who lost their crops due to rains.
A K S Vijayan, the state secretary of DMK Farmer's wing and the TN Government's special representative in Delhi, who led the protest, pointed out it was former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi who established the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) to procure paddy from the farmers of the delta districts and also created 50,000 jobs through the corporation.
He pointed out that every year, during the rainy season, the state Government used to write for relaxation of moisture norms for procurement, and the Union Government approves the relaxation.
"This year also the Union Government officials visited the delta districts and saw the condition of the paddy brought by the farmers. Though the officials are 'for' relaxation of the moisture, the Union Government, led by Modi, rejected the request by the state government."
Vijayan further pointed out that only during M Karunanidhi's regime, free electricity for agriculture was introduced. "In the last four years, the DMK Government led by M K Stalin had provided free agriculture electricity connections to 2,00,000 farmers in the State", he said, adding that the Modi-led BJP Government is planning to withdraw the free electricity for agriculture.
Anniyur Siva, the state secretary of DMK farm workers front, Ex-Union Minister S S Palanimanickam, Thanjavur M.P. S Murasoli, MLAs D Chandrasekaran (Tiruvaiyaru), T K G Neelamegam (Thanjavur), N Ashokkumar (Peravurani), K Annadurai (Pattukkottai), Mayor S Ramanathan, MDMK deputy general secretary Aduthurai R Murugan, CPI district secretary G Sakthivel, CPM district secretary Chinnai Pandian, VCK district secretary G Jaishankar were among those present.