Thanjavur farmers stage protest as DPC stops procuring without notice

The farmers said, the district administration opened as many as 267 DPCs across the district and announced each DPC to procure 1000 bags per day but most of the DPCs procured only up to 600 bags. Meanwhile, a DPC functioning near Thennangudi in the district stopped procuring for the past three days. The officials had neither informed the farmers nor given any valid reason for the closure of the DPC and this had resulted in the accumulation of several thousand bags of paddy.

The farmers who had waited round the clock for their turn were frustrated and so they dumped the paddy on the Thanjavur-Bhoothalur road and staged a protest. They also blocked the traffic.

On information, the Kallaperambur police inspector Kazhaniappan and DPC procurement officer Saravanan and others rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitating farmers.

After assurance by the officials, the farmers dispersed from the spot. Traffic was disrupted for more than an hour.

Later, the official said, due to space shortage for storage, the procurement was stopped and soon, the already stored paddy would be shifted and the procurement would commence thereafter.