Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to relax paddy procurement norms.
Stalin, in a letter to Modi, noted that nearly one lakh hectare of paddy fields in the Cauvery delta region is submerged in water due to unseasonal rains.
Unseasonal and sudden rains in the districts of Nagapattinam, Myladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Pudukottai have inundated about to be harvested paddy (Samba) crops, he said, adding that hence, the moisture content in the harvested paddy will be much higher than the stipulated volume.
He said that the relaxation of moisture norms is a mitigation measure and cited the Central government allowing relaxation in norms on paddy procurement during the last Kuruvai season.
Also Read Stalin, Soren, Prakash Ambedkar & others to attend Telangana Secretariat launch on Feb 17 A similar relaxation is required for the paddy farmers now, he said.
Stalin said: “I request you to issue necessary instructions to allow the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation to procure paddy from farmers with moisture content up to 22 percent and for relaxation in the minimum limit of immature, shrunken and shriveled up to five percent as against the normal three percent and damaged, discoloured and sprouted up to seven percent as against the normal five percent with necessary value cut for this Samba crop.”
Related stories
Subscribe
- Never miss a story with notifications
- Gain full access to our premium content
- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once
Latest stories