VELLORE
We are not opposing the farm Act for political reasons, but for the welfare of the farmers, said S. Duraimurugan, DMK general secretary on Friday.
He was addressing the people during a gram sabha meeting organised by the DMK members in Vandranthangal near Katpadi. “Now private traders will start purchasing it from the farmers at a higher price and gradually no one will sell it to the government run marketing committees leading to its closure. After this the private traders will start quoting cheap prices and farmers will have no other option but to sell it to them,” he said citing an example of how many left BSNL for private telecom players and brought the government-run telecom company to the brink of closure.
He said that even Uzhavar Sandhai (farmer market) will also cease to exist. “There are many such flaws in the Act. When the DMK was in power we procured rice from farmers for ₹1,840 per quintal. In Kerala the rate is ₹2,500 per quintal, a small State like Chhattisgarh gives ₹ 2,650 and Delhi, where rice production is less, the rate is ₹ 2,620. But today in Tamil Nadu, there is nothing for farmers,” he claimed adding that many farmers had met him and submitted petitions requesting to scrap the Farm Act.
Few villages in Vellore, Tirupathur, Ranipet and Tiruvannamalai district, led by DMK members, conducted the Gram Sabha meetings on Friday and took resolution against the Farm Act.
“We just know that the act is harmful to the farmers. Based on the directions of our DMK president M.K. Stalin, we held meetings with personal distancing norms and passed a resolution against the Act,” said D. Ravikumar, former Panchayat President, Periyankuppam, Tirupathur district.
