Despite a change in government in Tamil Nadu, farmers in the fertile Cauvery Delta region allege that bribery and irregularities continue unabated at direct paddy procurement centres, costing them up to ₹120 per 40-kg bag. With summer cultivation underway across Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Mayiladuthurai districts, the cumulative loss is estimated to have crossed ₹150 crore for the current season alone, as reported in Dinamalar.
Summer cultivation, largely dependent on pumpset irrigation, has been carried out on approximately 1.5 lakh acres across the three districts. Harvesting is in full swing, and authorities expect to procure between 4 and 5 lakh tonnes of paddy. During the previous DMK regime, farmers had complained of similar extortion at procurement centres. Hopes that the new administration would rein in corruption have been dashed, as farmers say the situation remains unchanged.
Speaking to reporters, farmers in the Delta region detailed how the ₹120 loss per bag accrues through multiple layers of coercion:
Bribe for acceptance: Officials demand ₹40 per 40-kg bag to accept the produce. If refused, they reject the stock on the grounds of excessive moisture content and instruct farmers to dry it further.
Re-drying costs: Complying with this instruction forces farmers to dry the paddy again and re-bag it for a second trip, incurring an additional expense of ₹75 per bag, compelling most to pay the ₹40 bribe instead.
Winnowing deductions: Under the pretext of removing chaff, officials arbitrarily remove 1.5 kg of paddy from each bag, valued at approximately ₹40.
Weighing manipulation: While regulations stipulate that a 40-kg bag should weigh 40.600 kg, centres set the weight at 42 kg, forcing farmers to part with an extra 1.5 kg of paddy, costing another ₹40.
Thus, for every 40-kg sack, farmers effectively lose ₹120, ₹40 in bribe, ₹40 through winnowing deductions, and ₹40 through inflated weighing. With total procurement expected to reach 5 lakh tonnes, the estimated loss to the farming community stands at a staggering ₹150 crore.
Grievances of Procurement Staff
When questioned about the allegations, procurement centre employees offered a detailed breakdown of how the illicit earnings are distributed. Out of the ₹40 collected per sack as bribe, ₹5 is set aside for general expenses and ₹2 goes to the procurement officer as a customary fee (mamool). Of the remaining ₹33, loadmen receive ₹16, while ₹17 is shared among the bill clerk, assistant, and night watchman.
Similarly, proceeds from the “excess weight” practice, totalling ₹40 per sack, are distributed as follows: ₹3,000 each to the lorry crew, loading workers, and the procurement officer, with ₹1,000 going to the quality control officer.
Regarding the ₹40 collected through winnowing deductions, expenses include ₹5,000 per season for head office costs, ₹5,000 for trade union expenses, ₹3,000 for transporting supplies such as bill books, sacks, and jute from the head office to the centre, and another ₹5,000 for their return.
Infrastructure Woes Add to Clerk Anxiety
Compounding the problem, many government procurement centres lack basic facilities such as covered sheds. Paddy sacks procured from farmers are stacked in the open without adequate protection, exposing them to rain and moisture. This leads to damage and weight loss, forcing procurement clerks to pay “penalty” amounts from their own pockets. As a result, clerks have grown apprehensive about reporting for duty.
Farmers have demanded that the government either establish proper storage infrastructure at procurement centres or ensure that procured sacks are transported to warehouses within 24 hours of purchase.
Demand for Systemic Reform
Cauvery Dhanapalan, President of the Joint Movement of All Farmers’ Associations of Tamil Nadu, strongly condemned the ongoing malpractice, stating that farmers faced these losses year after year. He pointed out that at procurement centres, ₹120 had to be paid for every 40-kg sack, and that this money came entirely from the farmers’ own pockets. He further observed that since the government did not suffer any financial loss from this corruption, it remained a passive spectator and took no action, adding that this situation continued even under the current administration.
Mr. Dhanapalan called for a complete overhaul of the procurement system and suggested two viable alternatives. He proposed either direct bulk procurement of paddy from the fields, or a mechanism allowing rice mills to purchase grain directly from farmers, which he said would eliminate intermediaries and corrupt officials.
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