RANIPET: Ranipet district officials have complained to the State food secretary regarding pending dues to farmers who offloaded paddy to the National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF), sources revealed.

What aggravated matters was that the NCCF coordinator refused to look at or answer WhatsApp messages despite being online and not replying to letters from the district administration on the issue. Sources revealed that the food secretary asked officials if they had informed NCCF on this issue to which they replied in the positive. “Inquiries revealed that if there was no reaction from the NCCF end then district officials would be forced to seek a police remedy,” officials said.

It may be recalled that TNCSC MD Prabakar informed DT Next that he would instruct district collectors to restrict NCCF activities due to frequent complaints of delayed payment. Meanwhile, Vaniyambadi farmer Shanker had visited the TNCSC office as 5 farmers from his village who offloaded their paddy to NCCF were yet to get their payment of Rs 5 lakh.