Bribe plaint at DPCs roils grievance meet

Madurai: A farmer created a commotion at the monthly farmers' grievance redressal meeting at the Madurai collector's office on Friday when he barged in weeping, with paddy in hand, claiming it sprouted as it was not processed at the the direct procurement centre (DPC) due to corruption. However, collector M S Sangeetha who ordered an inquiry said later that the farmer had created a scene to grab media attention as what he claimed was found to be false.
M Murugan from Ayyankottai in Vadipatti taluk, alleged that the Ayyankottai DPC had not processed his paddy for over 15 days. As it was stored in the open, it started sprouting after the recent rain. "There was no loss to the farmer in this transaction. Murugan collected the sprouted paddy from the DPC ground, which was spilled during the handling and sprouted in rain, and came to the collector's office and spread wrong information," said the collector. Ayyankottai DPC processed 533 tonne of paddy after it started operations on March 3, the statement added.
Murugan had claimed that DPC was demanding Rs70 per bag instead of Rs10 handling charge, and not processing the yield of those who refused to pay the bribe. Farmers have for long been alleging that DPCs are under the influence of local politicians who fleece farmers. After he made the allegations, agitated farmers demanded action against corruption in DPCs and raised slogans against corrupt officials.
Some of the farmers proposed that the paddy cultivated in the district could be procured by National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCFI), but another section said the procurement rights should be with Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation. Allowing NCCFI would eventually pave the way for corporates to loot farmers, they said.