Premalatha seeks lasting solution to rain-soaked paddy stocks issue

CHENNAI: DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth on Sunday urged the ruling TVK government to immediately move paddy stocks stored in the open-air godowns to secure warehouses, alleging that thousands of bags had been damaged by recent rains at Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) and storage facilities across the State.

In a statement, the Virudhachalam MLA said that over a month ago, the party had warned the government about the need to protect paddy stocks in view of the monsoon season and had cautioned against storing them in the open without adequate safeguards.

Premalatha highlighted that paddy bags stored in an open yard at Patteeswaram near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district were damaged after continuous rain. Similar incidents were reported at procurement centres in Srivilliputhur and Vathirayiruppu in Virudhunagar district, she said.

According to Premalatha, delays in procurement, the absence of sufficient temporary storage facilities and inadequate tarpaulin cover had resulted in harvested paddy remaining in the open for long periods.

"Farmers brought their produce for procurement, but delays in weighing and procurement left large quantities exposed to rain," she said, adding that prolonged exposure to rainwater could affect the quality of paddy and result in losses to farmers.

Premalatha urged the government to shift paddy stocks stored in the open-air godowns to protected warehouses without delay and implement long-term measures to prevent similar losses in future. She also alleged that the government was not taking action on repeated concerns raised by opposition parties on public issues.