Procurement on 33-day hold in north TN, says PMK president Anbumani

CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss has condemned the State government, saying the DMK regime has halted paddy procurement in northern districts for over a month, leaving farmers in distress.

In a statement, Anbumani said that paddy procurement has been suspended for the past 33 days in Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, and nearby districts. Farmers holding government-issued tokens are waiting day and night outside procurement centres without any response from officials, he alleged.

Anbumani charged that, despite an increase in paddy production this year in the northern districts, the procurement arrangements were inadequate. Rain-soaked paddy bags are now sprouting as officials continue to delay operations, he said.

Chief Minister MK Stalin's claim that paddy procurement was 'progressing smoothly' and was being monitored daily is a lie, the PMK president said. "How does he remain unaware of a 33-day halt? Even the world's worst governments haven't treated farmers this cruelly," he said.

In another statement, Anbumani said that a farmer from Mangalur village in Cuddalore district died after a snakebite because there was no doctor at the local Primary Health Centre (PHC).

He added that the victim was taken to the Mangalur PHC within minutes of the bite, but no doctor was present for nearly three hours, leading to his death.

He criticised the DMK government for failing to ensure round-the-clock medical services at PHCs, calling it a sign of administrative collapse. He also demanded compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job for the victim's family.