The e-DPC system to be implemented by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation from October 1 for purchase of paddy is likely to witness a troubled start with opposition emerging from a different quarter this time.
Inquiries reveal that when Corporation switched over to digital payment method from ‘spot cash disbursement’ to the farmers who have measured their paddy at the direct purchase centres (DPCs) a few years ago, the change over instantly evoked fear among farmers. However, such fear died down subsequently as the digital payment method proved to be a safe and secured method.
This time, the uneasiness had emerged from the village administrative officers as they ‘feared’ that the new procedure would lead to delay in issue of the required documents to measure the paddy at the DPCs.
Participating in the taluk-level training-cum-awareness programmes conducted by the Corporation in Thanjavur district on Wednesday, some VAOs said that the request for necessary documents - ‘chitta’ / ‘adangal’ - had to be attended within a time frame after inspecting survey numbers mentioned in the e-DPC application. This process would result in a delay in clearing the ‘e-requests’ since the VAOs were expected to cover additional revenue villages in view of several VAO posts lying vacant.
The Internet connectivity problems would also result in delay in issue of these documents leading to ‘misunderstanding’ between them and farmers.
Meanwhile, a section of farmers has registered their protests by seeking on what would happen if the DPC staff refuse to procure the grains citing moisture content. There was no clarity as to whether the seniority in registration would be carried over to subsequent days if the paddy brought to the DPC was rejected on the ground of moisture content and brought to the centre again after drying the grains. As per the new system, farmers could harvest paddy only after getting the clearance from the ‘procurement officer’ who would visit the field to inspect the standing crop.
G.Srinivasan of Ganapathi Agraharam near Ayyampettai said it was essential to ensure accessibility to paddy driers across the district so that the farmers could bring the grains complying with the 17 % moisture content rule to the DPCs.
V.Jeevakumar of Rayamundanpatti near Budalur, V.Dharmarajan of Nedar and R.Baskar of Pachchur criticised the officials for not taking them into confidence before deciding to switch over to the new method of procurement. For, not all farmers were adept in the use of smartphones.
Responding to the fears, officials clarified that a mere mobile handset with the short message service (SMS) facility would be enough as farmers would receive the OTP and other information as SMS. There could not be any delay in processing the applications by VAOs since VAOs were stationed at the respective revenue village domains.
