Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition, pledged to champion the cause of delta region farmers by addressing their concerns regarding paddy procurement with the State government on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
During his interaction with farmers at a direct purchase center in Kattur, near Thanjavur, Palaniswami emphasized his personal connection to their struggles, stating that as a farmer himself, he deeply understood their challenges.
He assured the distressed farmers, many of whom were reportedly “in tears” over their sprouting paddy, that he would personally raise these issues with the government. Palaniswami sharply criticized the government, accusing them of deceit; he claimed that while official statements in the Legislative Assembly boasted of procuring 2,000 bags of paddy daily, the actual figure was a meager 800 bags.
Continuing his outreach, Palaniswami later visited other Direct Purchase Centers (DPCs) in the Orathanadu area of Thanjavur district and the Mannargudi region of Tiruvarur district, engaging directly with more farmers.
Food Minister Disputes Claims
Meanwhile, Food Minister R. Sakkarapani, following his inspection of the paddy storage godown in Pillaiyarpati, on the outskirts of Thanjavur, on the same Wednesday, highlighted numerous measures the government had undertaken to boost paddy storage capacity in the delta region.
Sakkarapani vehemently rejected the Opposition Leader’s accusations regarding paddy procurement, sarcastically remarking, “What else can be expected from the Opposition party?”
The Minister asserted that Direct Purchase Centers were, in fact, procuring 1,000 bags of paddy daily.