DMK-led alliance protest against Centre’s refusal to relax norms
The first leg of the two-day protest was conducted here by the representatives of the Secular Progressive Alliance, who were clad in a white shirt-dhoti and a green towel.
Secular Progressive Alliance leaders stage protest in Thanjavur
THANJAVUR: The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance on Sunday staged a protest criticising the Union government for rejecting the state's request to relax moisture content norms for paddy procurement.
The first leg of the two-day protest was conducted here by the representatives of the Secular Progressive Alliance, who were clad in a white shirt-dhoti and a green towel. The second leg of the protest is scheduled to be held in Tiruvarur on November 24.
Members of the Congress and Left Parties, which are the constituents of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) gathered here on Sunday, holding party flags, raised slogans against the BJP government. During the agitation, the protesters said, "We condemn the hostile attitude shown towards the farmers. Do not ignore the farmers", they said.
In a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 18, Stalin urged Modi to issue necessary orders to allow the State to realise the target of purchasing 16 lakh MT of paddy during the current Kharif 2025-26 season.
Though the Central teams assessed the moisture content on October 25, orders have not yet been issued by the Department of Food and Public Distribution for relaxing the moisture content from 17 to 22 per cent. "This needs to be done urgently", Stalin had said in his letter.
However, the Union government rejected the plea, prompting the DMK-led alliance to announce the protest.
The SPA had announced on November 21 that it would hold protests in the delta districts -- Thanjavur on November 23, and in Tiruvarur on November 24 for rejecting the State's request to relax the moisture level in paddy permissible for procurement from the current 17 per cent to 22 per cent.