Aiadmk General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami speaks to reporters and tirunga in Madurai on Thursday. | Photo credit: G. Moorthy
Chief Minister MK Stalin’s claim that the DMK government procured an average of 42.61 lakh tonnes of paddy annually in the last four years is nothing but a “white lie”, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Thursday (Oct 30, 2025).
Speaking to reporters in Madurai, Mr. Palaniswami said that according to the Food Ministry’s Policy Note, paddy paddy procurement was 29.42 million tonnes in 2022-23; 29.45 million tonnes in 2023-2024; 28.26 million tonnes in 2024-2025; and 28.30 million tonnes in 2025-26. “While the total procurement of paddy under the DMK government was only 1.15 million metric tonnes (in the last four years), how could the government make an average annual purchase of 42.61 million tonnes. It is a white lie. That this is a ‘propaganda model’ of the government is proven by this,” he said.
Mr. Palaniswami wondered which statement by the government — the policy note or the Chief Minister’s statement — was true. “The Chief Minister should clarify,” he said.
The Leader of Opposition said that he had highlighted the plight of the Cauvery delta farmers at the rally on October 17. However, Food Minister R. Sakkarapani said that each direct purchase center was buying 2,000 bags of paddy fish every day, including Sundays. “If such a move were to happen, all the bags found dumped on the roadsides would be recovered,” he said.
During his inspection of shopping centers in the Cauvery delta areas on October 21, farmers told him that no purchase was made for 15 days and only 600 bags were procured each day. “The brokerage centers did not have enough jute bags, loaders and trucks to transport,” he said. This led to the dumping of paddy bags on roadsides and outside shopping malls. The rice started to germinate after being soaked by the rain. Farmers were involved in food production but the government failed to buy their produce, he said.
Wetland protected
Under the AIADMK government, the Pallikaranai swamp was protected with a fund of ₹165.68 crore from the National Climate Change Adaptation Fund. “The National Green Tribunal has ordered permission to be granted for construction one km from the boundary of the wetland. However, no permission has been granted for construction in close proximity to the wetland,” Mr. Palaniswami said.
Published – 30 Oct 2025 20:21 IST
