Stalin’s claim about paddy procurement in four years is a white lie, says Palaniswami

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s claim that the DMK government had procured an average of 42.61 lakh metric tonnes of paddy a year in the last four years is nothing but a “white lie”, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Thursday (October 30, 2025).

Talking to reporters in Madurai, Mr. Palaniswami said that according to the Policy Note of the Department of Food, paddy procurement was 29.42 lakh tonnes in 2022-23; 29.45 lakh tonnes in 2023-24; 28.26 lakh tonnes in 2024-25; and 28.30 lakh tonnes in 2025-26. “While the total paddy procurement under the DMK government was only 1.15 crore metric tonnes [in the last four years], how could have the government made an average annual procurement of 42.61 lakh tonnes. It is a white lie. That this is a ‘propaganda model’ government is hereby proved,” he said.

Mr. Palaniswami wondered which statement of the government — the policy note or that of the Chief Minister — was true. “The Chief Minister should clarify,” he said.

The Leader of the Opposition said he had highlighted the plight of Cauvery delta farmers in the Assembly on October 17. However, Minister for Food R. Sakkarapani said every direct procurement centre was buying 2,000 bags of paddy each day, including on Sundays. “Had such an action been taken, all the bags found dumped on the roadsides would have been procured,” he said. 

During his inspection of procurement centres in the Cauvery delta districts on October 21, farmers told him that no purchase had been made for 15 days, and only 600 bags had been procured every day. “The procurement centres did not have enough jute bags, load-men, and trucks for transport,” he said. This led to paddy bags being dumped on the roadsides and outside the procurement centres. The paddy started germinating after getting drenched in the rain. The farmers were involved in food production, but the government had failed to buy their produce, he said.

Wetland protected

Under AIADMK rule, the Pallikaranai marsh was protected with a fund of ₹165.68 crore from the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change. “The National Green Tribunal had ordered grant of permission for construction one km away from the boundary of the wetland. But no permission was granted for construction very close to the wetland,” Mr. Palaniswami said.