Farmers of Chellampatti union submitted a petition at the weekly grievance day meeting in Madurai on Monday.
| Photo Credit: R. ASHOK
During the weekly public grievance redressal meeting held here on Monday, farmers from the Chellampatti Union submitted a petition demanding the immediate establishment of a Direct Procurement Centre (DPC) in their locality.
P. Suresh, a local farmer, highlighted that approximately 250 farmers in the area cultivate crops across more than 5,000 acres. In the absence of a local DPC, they struggle to store and sell their produce safely.
Currently, farmers were forced to stack their harvests in an open school ground while waiting for the district administration to collect them.
“We are constantly worried about the safety of our crops; any unpredictable incident could lead to total loss,” he added.
Even when farmers attempted to transport their produce to DPCs in other areas, staff often refuse to accept the stock, citing jurisdictional restrictions. This results in the produce remaining stacked and exposed for several days.
Despite the district administration approving new DPCs periodically, the specific needs of the Chellampatti Union remained unaddressed, Mr. Suresh stated.
Farmers noted that while they have raised this issue repeatedly in various grievance meetings, no concrete action has been taken so far.
Published – February 02, 2026 08:45 pm IST
