Tamil Nadu: Delta farmers protest seeking relaxation of moisture limit, early paddy procurement
The protesting farmers who gathered in front of the regulatory market in Papanasam raised slogans urging the state government to write to the Union government to relax the moisture condition at the earliest.
Farmers stage protest outside the regulatory market in Papanasam in Thanjavur on Wednesday
TIRUCHY: Demanding that moisture restrictions be relaxed up to 25 per cent for paddy and measures for gunny bag shortage, and the government expedite the procurement, the delta farmers staged a protest on Wednesday.
The protesting farmers who gathered in front of the regulatory market in Papanasam raised slogans urging the state government to write to the Union government to relax the moisture condition at the earliest.
Considering the impact of monsoon during the kuruvai procurement season, the Centre should allow the procurement of paddy with a moisture level up to 25 per cent, they urged. The procurement should be undertaken with 75 kg of paddy in each bag so that the gunny bag shortage would be compensated to a certain extent, they said.
The farmers also demanded mobile DPCs for all farmers to transport the procured paddy within 24 hours, irrespective of large, medium, and small quantities.
Alleging that the DPC staff demand a bribe of Rs 150 per quintal of paddy, they said that despite raising the issue in every farmers' grievances meet, nothing has materialised to prevent the practice of bribery.
