Chennai

DMK Treasurer Duraimurugan, in the Assembly, raised the issue of absence of direct procurement centres in districts outside Cauvery delta districts. “There are paddy farmers in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram districts, but due to the absence of direct procurement centres the farmers are forced to sell to private traders who are buying at Rs 100 less per quintal. If government has set up paddy procurement centres in all the districts farmers would get high returns,” said Duraimurugan. Kamaraj replied that direct procurement centres are set up after receiving demands from farmers in the western and northern districts.