The Kerala High Court has expressed its displeasure over the failure of the State government and Supplyco to pay procurement price of paddy to farmers in Palakkad despite its orders. The court observed that the non-payment of procurement dues cannot be countenanced.
The court made the observation recently when a batch of writ petitions filed by Nenmeni Padasekhara Nellulpadaka Samithi and other farmers from Palakkad complaining about non-payment of the dues by the the State Government for paddy procured from them through the Supplyco. The petitioners said that many of them had borrowed money for paddy cultivation. In fact, they had no other income except the income from agricultural activities. If the amount due to the petitioners were not paid, they could not cultivate paddy for the next crop season. The amount due to them varies from ₹1 lakh to ₹2,50,000.
The court had earlier ordered the Supplyco and the State government to pay the procurement dues within one week from August 24, 2023.
When the petition came up for hearing, the government pleader submitted that all measures to pay the dues will be taken.
