There has been a limited outcome in the talks held recently between an HR and CE team and a group of sugarcane farmers supplying jaggery at the Kavindapadi Regulated Market for making changes in the method of procurement of the product for manufacture of Panchamirtham by the Palani Temple Devasthanam, sources said.
While the farmers prefer open auction system that was followed until two years ago, the temple management decided to procure jaggery through State Trading Corporation, due to alleged manipulation indulged in by a section of jaggery suppliers.
A group of farmers was stated to have formed a syndicate and had caused supply shortages resulting in a crisis situation during the Sabarimala Pilgrimage season when the demand for Panchamirtham peaks at Palani temple. To ensure constant supply of jaggery, the temple management had opted to source the product through the State Trading Corporation.
The farmers have, since then, been complaining that the returns are low when the product is sold to State Marketing Corporation.
The State Trading Corporation is learnt to have reduced dependence on the Kavindapadi Regulated Market considerably.
The HR and CE team that held talks at the initiative of the district administration following repeated representations by the farmers had reportedly expressed its decision to continue with sourcing gur from State Transport Corporation for now.
The team had consented to consider switching over to open auction system at a later point of time, L. Kolandaivelu, secretary, Erode Market Committee, said.
