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Divakaran insensitive to farmers’ cause: Chandy

MALAPPURAM: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has criticised Minister for Civil Supplies C. Divakaran for his statement that sprouted paddy will be procured at a lesser price than first quality paddy.

Talking to mediapersons here on Thursday, Mr. Chandy said that the Minister’s remarks were disappointing and disheartening for thousands of farmers who suffered heavy crop loss in the summer rain.

The Civil Supplies Minister on Wednesday said that procuring first quality and damaged paddy at the same price would be impractical. He said that first quality paddy would be procured at Rs.1,000 a quintal. However, a high-level committee comprising seven government secretaries would fix the price of damaged or sprouted paddy.

Reacting to the Minister’s remarks, Mr. Chandy said that the United Democratic Front (UDF) would launch an agitation if the Civil Supplies Department did not procure sprouted paddy. Mr. Chandy demanded that the other damaged crops too should be given compensation. He said the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had let loose its student wing to take the law into its hands. The Students Federation of India (SFI) should not be allowed to disrupt the law and order situation and the police should act without any bias.

Referring to Congress MLA Aryadan Mohammed’s recent remarks about the Indian Union Muslim League, Mr. Chandy said that there were no heartburns within the front over them.

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