THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay writes to Prime Minister ... Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking urgent intervention to ensure uninterrupted fertiliser supply to Tamil Nadu for the 2026 Kharif season, expressing concerns that shortages at this stage could threaten the state’s food security. In his letter,Vijaysaid there had been a serious shortfall in the supply of key fertilisers during April and May, and asked the Centre to immediately restore the deficit and ensure future allocations. He specifically sought supplies of urea, diammonium phosphate (DAP) and muriate of potash (MOP), which are critical for Kharif sowing. "Kindly instruct the authorities concerned to supply the required quantity to meet the demand for the rest of Kharif, 2026, which is 3.83 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of urea, 1.05 lakh MT of DAP and 0.83 lakh MT of MOP," Vijay wrote. The actor-turned-politician said a review of the state’s Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department after he assumed office on May 10 showed manufacturers had failed to meet the Union government’s approved supply plan for April and May. According to the figures cited in the letter…

Officials negligence leaves 1,538 tonnes of rice rotting in godowns Tamil Nadu Assembly panel visits godown which found 1,538 ton rottoe rice stored in Thanjavur Despite adequate food production at the national level, inefficiencies in Tamil Nadu’s state-run supply chain have resulted in the wastage of 1,538 tonnes of rice, raising questions over accountability in the DMK government’s administration. Reports indicate that the lackadaisical approach of government officials has led to large stockpiles of rice and other foodgrains rotting in storage. This shocking lapse was discovered during an inspection by the Tamil Nadu State Assembly Committee on Public Undertakings at the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) godown in Pillayarpatti, Thanjavur. It is learnt that these stocks were meant for despatch to Public Distribution System (PDS) outlets across the state. The committee, led by Anaicut MLA A.P. Nandakumar, visited the godown on 21 August and found rice stocks unfit for human consumption. When questioned, officials present admitted that the grains had been stored there since 2022. The panel expressed concern over the rationale for storing such huge quantities despit…

Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy seeks Centre's intervention to prevent ... HYDERABAD: Irrigation & Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday wrote a couple of letters to the Union government, flagging multiple pending issues related to paddy procurement, rice milling and storage, while seeking urgent intervention to safeguard farmers from distress sales. In his letters addressed to Union ministers and senior officials of the Department of Food & Public Distribution, Uttam pointed out that Telangana has witnessed bumper harvests in both Kharif and Rabi seasons, leading to procurement far beyond the targets allocated by the Centre. The state, he said, was undertaking procurement operations by borrowing from banks at high interest to protect farmers. One of the major demands raised was a revision of the order that mandates delivery of all balance custom milled rice (CMR) from Kharif 2024–25 exclusively in the form of parboiled rice by November 12. Telangana has argued that Kharif paddy is more suitable for raw rice conversion, and that 7.8 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of unmilled paddy is with raw rice millers, who cannot process it into boiled rice. The state offered to shift …

Palaniswami Assures Delta Farmers on Paddy Procurement Issues Tamil Nadu News Updated Oct 22, 2025 Tamil Nadu Farmers in Crisis: Palaniswami Vows to Fight Paddy Procurement Delays Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami has promised delta farmers he will take their paddy procurement issues to the state government. He visited multiple Direct Purchase Centres and witnessed farmers' distress firsthand. Palaniswami accused the government of misleading claims about daily procurement numbers while farmers suffer losses. Meanwhile, Food Minister Sakkarapani defended the government's efforts and dismissed the opposition's allegations. I IANS Oct 22, 2025 · 2 min read · 393 views Save Listen Copy 'Will raise paddy procurement issue with govt': Palaniswami assures farmers Chennai, Oct 22 AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday assured farmers in Tamil Nadu’s delta region that he would take up their grievances regarding paddy procurement with the State government. During his visit to the Direct Purchase Centre (DPC) at Kattur near Thanjavur, Palaniswami interacted with several farmers and expressed solidarity with their …

Distribution of poor quality rice by TVK MLA: BJP demands enquiry, action over Madurai incident Nainar Nagenthran was reacting to the alleged distribution of poor quality rice by Madurai West MLA S.R. Thangapandi

TN BJP seeks white paper on paddy procurement, urges Stalin govt to ... Agency News National Spread the love Tweet TN BJP seeks white paper on paddy procurement, urges Stalin govt to speed up PM‘s fortified rice scheme Chennai: Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad urged the state government to swiftly implement the Union government’s Fortified Rice Distribution Scheme and release a white paper outlining its stance and actions on paddy procurement. In a statement, Prasad accused Food Minister R. Sakkarapani of “peddling filtered falsehoods” by claiming that the delay in Central approval for mixing fortified rice had caused the piling up of paddy bags in godowns. “Before resorting to blame-shifting, the Minister should explain what fortified rice is and why the Modi government has mandated its distribution to address nutritional deficiencies,” Prasad said. He said the fortified rice initiative — containing iron, folic acid, and Vitamin B12 — was introduced to combat anaemia and improve public health, particularly among the poor. The Centre, he pointed out, issued fresh guidelines on July 29 for the 2025-26 procurement season, but the Tamil Nadu government acted only on October …

EPS flays DMK govt for procurement delay - dtnext.in COIMBATORE:AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami hit back at Chief Minister MK Stalin, saying his government was the one that betrayed farmers, referring to the Centre's refusal to relax the paddy moisture content limit to 22 per cent. Blaming the DMK for causing distress to Delta farmers, Palaniswami said that had the government begun timely procurement, harvested paddy would not have been soaked and sprouted in the rains. “Even during my visit to the delta region, I found procurement centres inactive for 15 days, with sacks piled up without being moved to godowns. There was insufficient weighing staff and lorries. Even diesel payments to truck operators were pending,” he said, criticising the government for excluding kuruvai farmers from crop insurance schemes over the last four consecutive years. “The DMK boasts of winning 40 MPs. But what's the use, if they couldn’t secure the rights of farmers,” he said, while referring to his party MPs stalling the parliament for 22 days over the Cauvery issue. He also questioned CM Stalin on farm laws. He asked him to specify how the three farm laws of the central government…

Congress blaming Centre after paddy procurement Failure: Kishan Reddy Union Minister Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy Hyderabad: Accusing the Congress government in Telangana of “failing” to procure paddy during the current Rabi season, Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday said the ruling party is trying to shift the blame onto the Centre. He also asked Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy why the state government has not fulfilled the Congress’ election promise of providing a Rs 500 bonus for 10 crops. “Centre has agreed to purchase almost 53 Lakh Metric Tons (LMT). You have not completed that. Without completing the procurement as agreed between the Centre and the state, why do you blame the Centre? You are trying to thrust your inefficiency on the Centre. “Both Congress and earlier BRS are playing with the lives of farmers,” he told reporters in Hyderabad. Reddy took exception to the ruling Congress leaders criticising the Centre for allegedly not procuring paddy from state as sought by them. According to him, Telangana farmers waiting at agriculture market yards for their produce to be procured are have been left vulnerable to unseasonal rains and the attempts of intermediari…

Odisha BJP delegation including Union Minister Dharmendra, MPs and MLAs ... Odisha BJP delegation including Union Minister Dharmendra, MPs and MLAs demand to increase parboiled rice procurement A delegation of Odisha MPs, MLAs and BJP leaders led by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi in New Delhi today. By Subadh Nayak Last updated Dec 16, 2025 Share Advertisement New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: A delegation of Odisha MPs, MLAs and BJP leaders led by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi in New Delhi today. During their meeting, they requested the Union Minister to increase parboiled rice procurement from Odisha from 20 lakh metric tonnes to 25 lakh metric tonnes. A letter in this regard has been submitted to the departmental minister, which states that Odisha’s paddy procurement for Kharif and Rabi seasons for 2024-25 has been increased from 50 lakh metric tonnes to 58 lakh metric tonnes. Dharmendra Pradhan expressed his gratitude for this. He mentioned that this increase in paddy procurement has increased the …

TN BJP seeks white paper on paddy procurement, urges Stalin govt to ... TN BJP seeks white paper on paddy procurement, urges Stalin govt to speed up PM‘s fortified rice scheme By IANS | Updated: October 23, 2025 08:40 IST 2025-10-23T08:36:10+5:30 2025-10-23T08:40:13+5:30 Preferred on Preferred on Next Chennai, Oct 23 Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad urged the state government to swiftly implement the Union ... TN BJP seeks white paper on paddy procurement, urges Stalin govt to speed up PM‘s fortified rice scheme Chennai, Oct 23 Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad urged the state government to swiftly implement the Union government’s Fortified Rice Distribution Scheme and release a white paper outlining its stance and actions on paddy procurement. In a statement, Prasad accused Food Minister R. Sakkarapani of “peddling filtered falsehoods” by claiming that the delay in Central approval for mixing fortified rice had caused the piling up of paddy bags in godowns. “Before resorting to blame-shifting, the Minister should explain what fortified rice is and why the Modi government has mandated its distribution to address nutritional deficiencies,” Prasad said. He said the …

Congress govt failed on procurement front, blaming Centre: Kishan HYDERABAD: Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy on Saturday alleged that the state government had neglected the farming community and failed to address critical issues related to paddy procurement, crop planning, and farmer welfare. He said that although the Congress came to power promising change, no significant improvement was visible in the lives of Telangana farmers. Addressing a press conference at the BJP state office here, Kishan Reddy alleged that government agencies, rice millers, officials, and middlemen were playing with the lives of farmers. He blamed the state government’s lack of planning and administrative inefficiency for the hardships faced by farmers, particularly during procurement seasons when harvested crops are damaged by untimely rains. He said BJP leaders had launched the “Rythula Gosa - BJP Bharosa” outreach programme to highlight farmers’ problems, while Congress ministers remained confined to their offices. The Union minister rejected the state government’s allegations that the Centre was responsible for procurement issues. He clarified that procurement centres, paddy purcha…

Stored paddy worth Rs 840 crore spoiled in five years in Tamil Nadu From 2019–24, Tamil Nadu lost 3.72 lakh metric tonnes of paddy/rice due to poor storage, costing at least ₹840 crore. Key reasons include leaky godowns, high moisture, pests, and rain damage. Losses peaked in 2021–22. While TNCSC claims improvements, risks persist. Plans are underway to build six modern rice mills to reduce spoilage and improve drying and packaging. Share Tweet Share Share Email Comments CHENNAI: Despite ongoing efforts to expand storage infrastructure, Tamil Nadu suffered wastage of 3.72 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of paddy/rice stored at direct procurement centres and warehouses from 2019-20 to 2023-24 at a minimum estimated financial loss of around Rs 840 crore. TNIE obtained this data through Right to Information (RTI) Act requests made to the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC). The actual financial loss, which was not fully disclosed by TNCSC, could be higher. TNIE acquired this information after multiple RTI requests and appeals, following delays and denials from TNCSC. The data revealed that between 65,000 MT and 1.25 lakh MT of paddy/rice was lost annually due to various factors. Lo…

TN BJP Seeks White Paper on Paddy Procurement from Stalin Govt Tamil Nadu News Updated Oct 23, 2025 Tamil Nadu's Rice Battle: BJP Demands White Paper Amid Fortified Delay The Tamil Nadu BJP has strongly criticized the state government's handling of paddy procurement and fortified rice distribution. Party spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad accused Food Minister R. Sakkarapani of spreading misinformation about central approval delays. He highlighted a 75-day gap between central guidelines and state action on fortified rice orders. The BJP demands immediate implementation of nutrition schemes and transparency through a white paper on procurement policies. I IANS Oct 23, 2025 · 2 min read · 277 views Save Listen Copy TN BJP seeks white paper on paddy procurement, urges Stalin govt to speed up PM's fortified rice scheme Chennai, Oct 23 Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad urged the state government to swiftly implement the Union government’s Fortified Rice Distribution Scheme and release a white paper outlining its stance and actions on paddy procurement. In a statement, Prasad accused Food Minister R. Sakkarapani of “peddling filtered falsehoods” by claiming that t…

Congress Alleges Massive Irregularities in Odishas Rice Procurement System by Arpit Soni Bhubaneswar, March 31:The Congress party has claimed a significant scandal in the rice procurement system in Odisha. On Tuesday, they accused the government of causing harm to farmers through alleged irregularities. The party also alleged collusion among relevant government officials and the state’s Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Minister. Abhay Kumar Sahu, president of the state Farmers’ Congress, and senior Congress leader Surdashan Das stated that due to these irregularities, thousands of farmers have been deprived of their rightful earnings. Despite set procurement targets, approximately 113,000 farmers have yet to sell their rice, highlighting serious flaws in the system. The party has demanded that the state government take immediate action to procure rice from the 113,000 farmers who registered to sell their produce. Congress leaders accused rice mill owners, food supply department officials, and cooperatives of colluding, leading to manipulation of the procurement process and misuse of funds. According to senior Congress leader Surdashan Das, a ’80:20 formula’ is being implement…

TN BJP seeks white paper on paddy procurement, urges Stalin govt to ... Home » National » TN BJP seeks white paper on paddy procurement, urges Stalin govt to speed up PM‘s fortified rice scheme Posted By: Gopi October 22, 2025 Chennai, Oct 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad urged the state government to swiftly implement the Union government’s Fortified Rice Distribution Scheme and release a white paper outlining its stance and actions on paddy procurement. In a statement, Prasad accused Food Minister R. Sakkarapani of “peddling filtered falsehoods” by claiming that the delay in Central approval for mixing fortified rice had caused the piling up of paddy bags in godowns. “Before resorting to blame-shifting, the Minister should explain what fortified rice is and why the Modi government has mandated its distribution to address nutritional deficiencies,” Prasad said. He said the fortified rice initiative -- containing iron, folic acid, and Vitamin B12 -- was introduced to combat anaemia and improve public health, particularly among the poor. The Centre, he pointed out, issued fresh guidelines on July 29 for the 2025-26 procurement season, but the Tamil Nadu…

Andhra Pradesh Govt plans to cut paddy cess, abolish market fee Andhra Pradesh may abolish the market fee on rice exports and cut the paddy cess from 2% to 1% to boost agriculture. CM Chandrababu Naidu assured rice millers of early action. The move could raise paddy demand and prices but halve marketing department revenue, sparking employee opposition. Share Tweet Share Share Email Comments Guntur: The state .government is considering a significant move to boost the state’s agriculture sector by abolishing the market fee on rice exports and reducing the agricultural marketing department cess on paddy from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu .assured the Andhra Pradesh Rice Millers Association that a favorable decision will be made soon. A cabinet sub-committee has been formed to study the issue and submit recommendations. A formal government order is expected once the report is finalised. Sources indicate that the agricultural marketing department has already begun preparations to implement the changes. The abolition of the market fee on rice exports is anticipated to encourage traders to increase shipments to other states and countries, thereby raising de…