Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the AIADMK General Secretary and current Leader of the Opposition, launched a sharp critique against the ruling DMK government on Sunday, focusing intensely on their handling of paddy procurement.
In an official statement, Palaniswami claimed that the DMK administration has failed to secure sufficient paddy from farmers. He highlighted widespread discontent among delta region farmers, who report that since the DMK took office, only a mere 600 bags of paddy are being procured daily. Furthermore, he noted a severe lack of adequate storage facilities for the already collected paddy, emphasizing that farmers are urgently requesting an increase in daily procurement to at least 1,000 bags.
Palaniswami further asserted that the AIADMK had repeatedly cautioned the government to complete paddy procurement before the monsoon season, warnings which he claims were ignored by the DMK. He recalled that during a recent Assembly session, despite a calling attention motion on the issue, Food and Civil Supplies Minister R. Sakkarapani’s assurance of procuring up to 1,000 bags of paddy was not followed by concrete actions for comprehensive procurement and proper storage.
He stressed that even with the knowledge of a record-breaking paddy harvest, the State government failed to implement necessary measures. This neglect, he added, has caused distress not just among farmers in the delta districts, but also in agricultural communities across other regions of the state.
Concluding his statement, Palaniswami urged the government to swiftly adopt effective strategies for paddy procurement, issuing a stark warning of large-scale protests if their concerns continue to be unaddressed.