Chennai, Nov. 20 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday criticised the Union government for rejecting the State’s request to relax moisture norms for paddy procurement in the wake of widespread rains.
The State had sought a temporary increase in the permissible moisture content from 17 per cent to 22 per cent to prevent financial loss to farmers whose harvested paddy had been exposed to incessant rainfall over the past weeks.
Calling the Centre’s decision “yet another betrayal of Tamil Nadu”, Stalin took to social media to question why the Union government, and particularly the Prime Minister, refused to accept a request rooted in the urgent needs of farmers.
“Could the Prime Minister not hear Tamil Nadu’s plea to procure paddy with higher moisture content due to heavy rains? Why did he fail to hear the voice of our farmers? Why did he not see their tears?” he wrote.
The Chief Minister recalled that there were several precedents where the Union government had relaxed moisture norms upon request from Tamil Nadu during similar weather-related crises.
“Why has the Union government, which accepted our requests in the past, rejected it this time?” he asked, adding that the refusal came at a time when farmers were struggling without adequate relief measures for rain damage.
Stalin further questioned how the BJP-led Union government expected to support farmers while denying both disaster compensation and flexibility in procurement norms.
He urged the Centre to reconsider its decision and expressed hope that it would act favourably in the interest of the farming community.
Significantly, the rejection of Tamil Nadu’s request came just a day after the Prime Minister visited Coimbatore — one of the two cities whose Metro Rail proposals were recently declined by the Centre, a development over which the State and Union governments have been engaged in a political back-and-forth.
To underline the gravity of the crop situation, the Chief Minister pointed out that three central teams had already toured rain-affected districts in late October and collected field samples.
Earlier this week, he had written again to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating the State’s request and seeking urgent approval.
Relaxation of moisture norms was among the three key demands he placed before the Prime Minister on behalf of Tamil Nadu’s farmers.
Stalin said the State would continue to press for relief until farmers received the support they deserved.
--IANS
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