Tamil Nadu Government Celebrates Record Paddy Procurement amid Opposition Criticism

The Tamil Nadu government has strongly countered accusations from the opposition AIADMK regarding insufficient paddy procurement. R Sakkarapani, Minister of Food and Civil Supplies, declared that the state's administration procured a total of 1.96 crore metric tonnes since the DMK took office, surpassing the AIADMK's previous decade-long record.

Speaking in Dindigul, Sakkarapani dismissed AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami's allegations as misleading and grounded in misinformation. He noted that Palaniswami had falsely claimed central permission was granted for procurement starting August 18 without furnishing proper documentation.

The minister credited Chief Minister M K Stalin's pro-farming policies for the unprecedented achievement in paddy procurement. In the current season alone, nearly 1,900 centers have facilitated purchasing 11.78 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, directly benefitting over 1.5 lakh farmers across the state.