Additional Chief Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, Mayiladuthurai District Collector A.P. Mahabharathi reviewing the operations of a DPC at Vaitheeswaran Koil on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

To address the needs of farmers during a promising harvest season, adequate paddy procurement centres (DPCs) will be opened across Tamil Nadu, said Additional Chief Secretary J. Radhakrishnan during an inspection at the direct paddy procurement centre in Vaitheeswaran Koil on Sunday.

Accompanied by Mayiladuthurai District Collector A.P. Mahabharathi, Mr. Radhakrishnan reviewed the operations of the DPC and outlined the State government’s efforts to streamline procurement and welfare schemes.

“As of Saturday, 1,808 DPCs were operational across the State, and 37 more were opened in Thanjavur on Sunday. This year, 5.52 lakh tonnes of paddy have been procured so far, with ₹1,321 crore disbursed to farmers since September 9. By August, we aim to procure 30 lakh to 35 lakh tonnes,” he said.

According to him, the government remains committed to ensuring that a farmer is not turned away from the centres. “Departments must coordinate effectively to guarantee smooth procurement,” he said.

On the distribution of Pongal gift hampers, Mr. Radhakrishnan said ₹1.47 crore worth of hampers had been distributed to beneficiaries, and the remaining hampers worth ₹2.2 crore would be disbursed shortly. Fair price shops would remain operational to ensure all eligible beneficiaries received their hampers, he said.