DMK gifting tearful Deepavali for farmers, flays EPS

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Sunday flayed the ruling DMK government for what he described as its "criminal negligence and administrative collapse" in handling paddy procurement, accusing it of turning Tamil Nadu's festive season into a "Deepavali of tears" for the State's farmers.

EPS said that lakhs of paddy bags were lying without procurement across the Cauvery delta, but the DMK government remains indifferent. "While the Chief Minister celebrates Deepavali with pomp and extravagance, our farmers are drowning in debt and despair," he said, warning that the State's rural economy is collapsing due to the government's apathy.

The AIADMK chief claimed that during his regime, each procurement centre handled 1,000 bags of paddy, but under the DMK, the figure has drastically dropped to 600 bags. He also slammed the government for refusing to raise the moisture limit from 17% to 22%, despite unpredictable weather patterns and widespread rainfall, which have left harvested paddy soaked in rain, vulnerable to damage.

Adding to the crisis, there is an acute shortage of gunny bags and waterproof tarpaulins, forcing farmers to spend from their own pockets to protect their produce, the former Chief Minister said. Over 30 lakh bags of paddy remain uncollected due to poor coordination between the Food and Civil Supplies and Agriculture departments, he alleged. "This is not mismanagement, it is betrayal," he charged.

Recalling NCRB data that recorded 1,968 farmer suicides between 2021 and 2023 in Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami warned that continued indifference would push more farmers into a death trap.

Demanding immediate remedial measures, EPS urged the DMK government to increase the procurement capacity to 1,000 bags per centre, raise the moisture limit to 22%, provide compensation for rain-damaged paddy, ensure adequate supply of gunny bags and covers, and address farmers' grievances without delay.