The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Nagapattinam News : Farmers face harassment at DPCs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 19, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Nagapattinam

Farmers face harassment at DPCs

By K. Subramanian

NAGAPATTINAM, JAN.18 . Farmers in the Cauvery delta region of Nagapattinam district are facing harassment while selling paddy at the Direct Purchase Centres, run by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation.

Arupathi Kalyanam, general secretary, Federation of Farmers Associations in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts, told The Hindu that the officials were harassing the farmers by asking them to winnow their paddy again in the machines kept at the DPCs before purchasing the paddy.

They were collecting Rs.12 (Rs. six for winnowing and Rs. six towards loadman charges) besides getting a `mamool' of Rs.10 per bag of 70 kg (earlier it was Rs.five per bag).

As a result, farmers were incurring additional expenditure of Rs.22 per bag.

Mr. Kalyanam, also a progressive farmer of Mayiladuturai, said that a large number of farmers were therefore reluctant to sell their paddy to the DPCs and started selling the paddy to private traders at the rate of Rs.280 to Rs.300 per bag of 60 kg for A-grade variety of paddy.

He urged the Government procure the grade-2 paddy (immature, shrunken and shrivelled) also to help the farmers whose samba crop was affected in the heavy rain in October.

`Open more DPCs'

Mr. Kalyanam urged the Government to open at least 950 DPCs in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts as was done in 2001 and urged the TNCSC to purchase paddy brought by farmers without asking them to winnow it again.

Meanwhile, a senior official told The Hindu that the TNCSC had so far opened 115 DPCs in Nagapattinam district and procured about 8,712 tonnes till last evening. Samba crop was raised on 1.29 lakh hectares.

Harvest was completed in 15 per cent of the area and it was in full swing in Keevalur, Sirkazhi and Mayiladuturai taluks followed by Thirukkuvalai, Nagapattinam, Tharangampadi and Vedaranyam.

The official said that the TNCSC was offering Rs.590 per quintal for A-grade paddy and Rs.560 for common variety with moisture content up to 17 per cent.

The DPCs were accepting paddy up to a moisture content of 20 per cent with the usual grade cut in the price.

Thanjavur

The Collector, M.Veera Shanmugha Moni, inspected the DPCs today.

He checked the procurement at the Vandayariruppu, Sadayarkoil and Murthiyambalpuram DPCs.

He checked whether paddy bags were properly stitched after procurement and moisture content was measured properly. He enquired the farmers who brought paddy to the DPCs whether there was any complaint.

So far, 21,973 tonnes of samba paddy had been procured through 200 DPCs in Thanjavur district, he added.

P.Gopal, Senior Regional Manager, TNCSC, and K.Mohan, Quality Control Officer, accompanied the Collector during his visit.

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Farmers face harassment at DPCs