The State government has decided to allow payment to farmers through cheques from the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2012-2013 for paddy procurement. [The KMS 2012-2013 will run from October 2012 to September 2013].
Directing the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and cooperative societies in this regard, the State Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection Department, in an order issued on Tuesday, stated that if farmers concerned did not have bank accounts, the savings bank accounts may be opened in their names first before issuing cheques.
This follows a proposal mooted by the Department of Food and Public Distribution in the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, which, at the meeting of State Food Secretaries in August last, emphasised that in order to ensure transparency in the procurement operations and also to give full benefit of Minimum Support Price to the farmers, payment should be made to the farmers by cheques. The Central Vigilance Commission had advised the Union government to ensure direct payment to the farmers through cheques.
