A well-oiled bribery culture at the Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) in the Cauvery Delta region has put the farmers under stress. The farmers, who are being forced to shell out ₹1 per kg of paddy procured from them at the DPCs, are worried about complaining openly.
According to P.R. Pandian, president, Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations of Tamil Nadu, bribery at DPCs is a localised and unspoken practice, as load men are from the same villages as farmers. “Farmers fear complaining, worried their paddy [procurement] may face delays or rejection. They are desperate to have their produce accepted and avoid conflicts with DPC officials,” he said.
A farmer from Mannargudi in Tiruvaur, who did not wish to be named, detailed how the practice works. “For every 40 kg bag of paddy, ₹40 must be paid as a bribe to the DPC staff. The load men justify this by saying the amount is distributed across multiple layers of the TNCSC network. Cultivating an acre of paddy costs ₹30,000 to ₹35,000, and with the government-fixed price of ₹43,290 per acre, for common variety paddy my margin is already slim. On top of this, I must pay ₹1,800 to ₹2,000 per acre just to ensure my paddy is procured. What remains for me to take home?”
During a field visit by this Correspondent last week, a farmer from Vedaranyam, in Nagapattinam echoed similar concerns, stating he had no choice but to pay the bribe to ensure his paddy was accepted on time. “I cannot store harvested paddy for long, as I fear rain or other issues damaging my stock. The DPC staff process the paddy of those who pay first, so I give them the bribe to avoid unnecessary delays.”
The hidden cycle
‘Cauvery’ Dhanapal, general secretary, Cauvery Farmers Protection Association. says the bribe amount fluctuates based on farmers’ unity. “If farmers collectively resist, the bribe amount remains low. If not, it increases to ₹50 per 40 kg bag in some places. In Nagapattinam, the standard rate is ₹40 per 40 kg bag.” He pointed out that if paddy is not transported within 48 hours, the moisture level drops, causing a weight reduction, which bill clerks in-charge of DPCs compensate for by taking an extra kilogram from farmers without paying them for it. The DPC bribes are not limited to load men but go up the chain, with portions allegedly being distributed to some inspectors, TNCSC officials, and even local political party members, ensuring the system continues unchecked.
Mr. Pandian emphasised CCTV cameras should be installed at DPCs to ensure transparency. “Though each DPC has a village-level committee, they rarely function effectively. The TNCSC workers are underpaid and only employed from January to March, forcing them to find alternative work for the rest of the year. Regularising their employment and addressing irregularities in booking lorries for transportation are essential to fixing this broken system.” He further pointed out that while the cost of agricultural inputs, from sowing to harvesting, has risen sharply, the procurement price has not, leaving farmers in distress. Despite political parties claiming to support farmers, this deeply entrenched bribery system remains unchallenged.
Structural issues
TNCSC workers, however, point to structural issues within the Corporation for this bribery ring.
A DPC typically consists of a bill clerk, helper, watchman, and 10-15 load men, all of whom are hired on a temporary basis. Their wages remain low, with bill clerks earning ₹11,140, helpers and watchmen ₹11,073, while load men receive ₹10 per bag transported. Despite being paid only for three months, they must be on alert 24/7 during the peak harvest season.
A bill clerk from Needamangalam taluk in Tiruvarur explained the challenges they face. “Many of us work hoping for permanent employment, but it is uncertain. Bribes from farmers are practically unavoidable, as we are forced to compensate for weight loss during storage. When transferring a 40 kg bag, at least 300 grams is lost. Currently, 8,000 bags in my DPC have been stagnant for 10 days, and as moisture levels drop, a 40 kg bag shrinks to 38-39 kg, causing financial loss that falls on us. Booking a lorry requires an extra commission of ₹3,000–₹4,000 above the fixed tender rate, as transporters refuse to come otherwise. This deepens institutionalised corruption,” he claimed.
A load man from Papanasam taluk in Thanjavur highlighted their irregular earnings. “We are paid only once a month, based on the number of bags transported. If lorries do not arrive for 10 to 15 days, we earn nothing and cannot accept new paddy from farmers. If it rains, we must rush at any hour to protect the stock. The government allows up to 1,000 bags per day per DPC, but 10-15 loadmen share the ₹10 per bag payment, meaning we earn ₹400–₹450 per day. However, due to transportation delays and bad weather, we barely work 45 days in the three-month procurement season.”
In Tiruvarur, more than 50 bill clerks were initially denied work this year for refusing to cover the weight loss caused by transportation delays. Only after TNCSC trade unions intervened, arguing that bill clerks should not bear the financial burden of moisture loss, were they reinstated.
Structural reforms
S. Chandrakumar, general secretary of the TNCSC Workers’ Union (affiliated with AITUC), acknowledged the issue of bribery at DPCs and urged farmers to speak out against corrupt practices.
“The problem is complex. Eliminating bribery at DPCs will only shift the focus to deeper structural issues within TNCSC, including severe underpayment of staff, corruption among officials, and political interference. However, farmers must resist bribery, as their stance will ultimately strengthen TNCSC,” he said.
Citing a TNCSC committee report from 1995, he pointed out that paddy with a moisture level below 18% recorded a 4% weight loss, while paddy above 18% faced a 7.7% loss within 15 days. Despite these findings, no steps have been taken to compensate DPCs for this loss.
The union has long demanded a fully online lorry booking system to ensure transparency and accountability at every stage. However, the government has yet to implement this, and local-level lorry bookings continue to be controlled by DPC staff, with commissions being taken at various levels.
“Without addressing these systemic flaws, simply blaming DPC workers will not lead to real reform,” he added.
Officials aware
A. Shanmuga Sundaram, Managing Director of TNCSC acknowledged issues related to bribery DPCs and outlined measures being taken to curb the practice.
“We are aware of concerns regarding transportation and are working to make the process more transparent. We have installed flex boards at every DPC for farmers to report bribe demands, and a vigilance officer with four permanent and four temporary teams has been appointed to handle complaints. Additionally, every DPC has a complaint box, the key to which is with the district collector. Farmers can also report grievances through our **24/7 helpline number: 1800 599 3540,” he told The Hindu.
TNCSC currently operates 2,651 DPCs across the State, receiving around 15 complaints per day, mostly regarding excess weight deductions, delayed DPC openings, and operational issues. On bribery-related complaints, only four cases from two districts have been reported since January, and action has been taken in all of them.
“There are systemic challenges, but we are committed to reforms. However, addressing these issues effectively is only possible if farmers come forward and report bribe demands,” he added.
Minister Responds
R. Sakkarapani, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, told this Correspondent that before the DMK government, loadmen were paid only ₹2.75 per bag, but under the current administration, it has been increased to ₹10 per bag, costing the State ₹83 crore annually.
“It is disheartening to hear that the practice still continues despite these efforts. This year, over 60,000 metric tonnes of paddy have been procured, and since our DPCs offer ₹2,450 per quintal compared to ₹2,100 in the open market, more farmers prefer to sell to us,” he said.
Mr.Sakkarapani also assured tssues with lorry availability for transportation from DPCs were being reviewed, and a dedicated team had been set up to streamline and improve transparency in lorry bookings.
“To prevent exploitation, load men will now be paid every 15 days instead of once a month, and this will be implemented soon. We strongly urge farmers to report bribe demands directly, as this will help us fix the issue. Dedicated vigilance teams are conducting random checks at DPCs, and we are actively working to clear stock backlogs within the next 10 days,” he added.
