Chennai, June 22:
DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth on Sunday urged the ruling TVK government to immediately shift paddy stocks stored in open-air godowns to secure warehouses, alleging that recent rains have damaged thousands of bags across the State.
In a statement, the Virudhachalam MLA said the party had already warned the government about safeguarding paddy stocks ahead of the monsoon, cautioning against open storage without proper protection. She pointed to incidents in Patteeswaram near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, as well as in Srivilliputhur and Vathirayiruppu in Virudhunagar district, where paddy was reportedly damaged due to continuous rainfall.
Premalatha attributed the losses to delays in procurement, inadequate storage facilities, and insufficient tarpaulin cover, which left harvested paddy exposed for extended periods. She noted that delays in weighing and procurement forced farmers to keep their produce in the open, increasing the risk of damage.
Warning that prolonged exposure to rain could affect paddy quality and lead to financial losses for farmers, she called on the government to act swiftly by moving stocks to protected warehouses and implementing long-term measures to prevent recurrence. She also criticised the government for allegedly failing to respond to repeated concerns raised by opposition parties.