Chennai: To address labour shortages at Direct Paddy Procurement Centres (DPCs), the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) has begun deploying workers from northern states, enabling centres to function in several districts.
TNCSC has opened DPCs at 401 locations to purchase harvested paddy from farmers. The report notes that during a previous DMK regime, a commission of Rs 40 per bag was allegedly collected and shared between labourers and procurement officials.
In the current administration, authorities have said there will be no such commission at procurement centres and have released a WhatsApp number for farmers to report complaints. With earnings reportedly dropping to around Rs 10 per bag, officials were said to be reluctant to open centres, and contract labourers refused to report for work.
The government instructed district collectors to open procurement centres wherever required. Following pressure from collectors on TNCSC officials, workers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal were engaged, and DPCs have since been opened in multiple districts, the report said.
Officials say the move has helped resolve the immediate labour issue and keep procurement operations running.
