In a recent Assembly session held on Friday, October 17, 2025, AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, brought to light a critical issue concerning farmers in Tamil Nadu. He alleged that due to irregularities at various Direct Purchase Centres (DPCs), approximately 30,000 bags of paddy have yet to be procured.
Palaniswami emphasized the dire situation faced by farmers, who are reportedly forced to store their harvested paddy bags in open spaces along roadsides. With the impending Northeast monsoon season, he urgently appealed to the State government to accelerate procurement efforts across all DPCs. Furthermore, he pressed for the swift transportation of existing paddy stocks from warehouses to rice mills to prevent spoilage.
Responding to these allegations, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, R. Sakkarapani, highlighted the success of the current Kuruvai season in the Cauvery delta districts, where paddy cultivation has impressively covered over six lakh acres. He clarified that the government has consistently initiated DPC operations on September 1 each year for the past four years, ensuring continuous procurement.
The Minister further assured the Assembly that each DPC is actively procuring up to 1,000 bags of paddy, with operations extending even to Sundays. He underscored the government’s commitment, stating that all necessary measures related to paddy procurement are being executed with utmost urgency and on a “war footing” to alleviate farmers’ concerns.