Central team checks paddy at DPCs in Tiruchi and Pudukottai districts

Team members check moisture content of paddy at DPCs in Suriyur and Gundur in Tiruverumbur taluk and Maravanur Serpatti and Nallampillai in Manapparai taluk in Tiruchi district and interact with farmers to ascertain extent of damage to samba crop

The Central team deputed to analyse damage caused to paddy crop by the unseasonal rain in delta districts continued its inspection for the third consecutive day, covering Tiruchi and Pudukottai districts on Friday.

The team, which started their tour from Nagapattinam district on Wednesday, visited direct purchase centres (DPCs) to inspect and collect paddy samples at Suriyur and Gundur in Tiruverumbur taluk and Maravanur Serpatti and Nallampillai in Manapparai taluk in Tiruchi district.

In Pudukottai district, the team inspected the DPCs at Perungalur in Pudukottai taluk, Kallakottai in Gandharvakottai taluk and Regunathapuram, Thattamanaipatti and Kulathurnayakkarpatti in Karambakudi taluk. Collector Kavitha Ramu accompanied the team.

They checked the moisture content of the paddy received at the DPCs and interacted with the farmers to ascertain the extent of damage to the samba crop.

The team deputed on behalf of Department of Food and Public Distribution, comprised of the coordinator Prabhakaran, C. Yunus and Y. Boya, Technical Officers of the Quality Control Cells in Bengaluru and Chennai of the department. E. Senthil, Senior Manager (Quality Control) in charge, Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC), accompanied the team.

The team was sent after Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking relaxation in paddy procurement norms on account of the samba crop being affected by unseasonal rain in the Cauvery delta. The crop was being harvested this month when they were hit by heavy rain.

He had requested the Prime Minister to allow the TNCSC to procure paddy with a moisture content up to 22% and relax the minimum limit of immature, shrunken and shrivelled crop up to 5% (as against 3%) and damaged, discoloured and sprouted crop up to 7% (as against 5%) with the necessary value cut for this samba crop also.