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Farmers give up agitation plan

TIRUCHI: An impromptu agitation planned by a section of farmers during the grievances day meeting seeking a hike in the minimum support price for paddy was thwarted by the police and Collector, here on Friday.

The farmers sought to pour paddy in front of the meeting venue at the Collector’s Office demanding Rs.1,000 for a quintal of paddy.

Members of Bharathiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), the Tamil Nadu Horticultural Crop Producers’ Association and a few other farmers came to the meeting carrying bags of paddy for the agitation.

The police had got wind of the plan and a team of officials, led by Assistant Commissioner Raja, who were waiting outside the venue, cautioned the farmers against resorting to the agitation without permission. The police told the farmers that specific places had been earmarked for agitations and the Collector’s Office was not among them.

The police also took away a bag of paddy from a farmer.

BKS State general secretary P.Ayyakkannu and others maintained that the agitation was not intended against the government and they would pour the paddy after obtaining permission from the Collector.

Meanwhile, there was a sharp difference of opinion among the farmers’ associations with some of them disapproving the idea of converting the meet into a platform for agitation.

They suggested that the agitation be staged at a different venue.

Collector Ashish Vachhani, who arrived soon after, declined permission for the agitation.

The farmers were told by the Collector to seek permission from the police for staging the agitation. The farmers later ‘submitted’ the bags of paddy to the Collector.

Later, speaking at the meeting, several farmers pleaded for a hike in the MSP for paddy on a par with wheat. The entire meeting was conducted amidst unusual police security.

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