Minister MRK Panneerselvam orders crop damage assessment; vouches for safe procurement of paddy

TIRUCHY: Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister MRK Panneerselvam visited flood-hit Delta districts on Friday and ordered officials to extend on-time rain alerts and ways to save their crops from damage.

Agriculture and revenue officials have been asked to enumerate the extent of crop damage and share recommendations for the compensation to be issued.

The minister inspected the worst-hit places, including ready-to-harvest kuruvai and standing crops that had submerged in water in several areas. He also inspected the ongoing paddy procurement in the Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs).

He told reporters that the Chief Minister, MK Stalin, had convened a meeting with the Collectors of the Delta districts well ahead of the onset of the North East monsoon, and had enquired about the status of kuruvai harvest and samba cultivation. “CM sent officials and ministers to inspect crop damage after Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai were hit by a downpour,” he said.

The minister vouched for the Chief Minister's commitment to ensuring the harvested paddy stocks are promptly procured and safely stocked or transported. “So far, three such meetings have been organised by the Chief Minister with the Delta district Collectors via video conferencing,” he said

The minister added that taluk and district-level monitoring committees have been formed to assess the crop damage. The minister acknowledged a triple-fold increase in paddy production due to the timely release of water from Mettur. The procurement so far has crossed a record 9.67 lakh MT, he added. “808 more DPCs had been opened this year, and the procurement timing has been increased to 8 pm against the usual 6 pm,” he said.

Officials have been instructed to accelerate the procurement process and move them to the warehouses at once, the minister said. “Private players have been stopped from procurement of paddy," he added.