'Corruption multifold under TVK': EPS says delta farmers left waiting as procurement fails

The AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has accused the TVK government of allowing corruption to grow sharply while farmers in the Cauvery delta struggle to sell their paddy.

Speaking to reporters, Palaniswami said growers in Thanjavur and Cuddalore were facing severe difficulty because procurement had failed, and he charged that the administration was spending on distractions instead of the problems people face daily. He also disputed the Chief Minister's claim on drug abuse, arguing that a government cannot excuse inaction by pointing to the past.

The charge matters because it comes from the principal opposition after months of DMK criticism of TVK on law and order, power supply and civic failures. Three parties now converge on one claim: that a first-time government is struggling with basic administration.

The TVK government has previously rejected opposition charges and blamed the previous DMK regime for inherited problems, citing Enforcement Directorate material in the Assembly. The DMK, in turn, staged a sit-in outside the Speaker's chamber after heated exchanges, and marshals removed its legislators.

For farmers, the dispute is not rhetorical. Delayed procurement means harvested paddy waits in the open during the northeast monsoon approach, raising the risk of sprouting and distress sale. Opposition parties say that risk, more than Assembly speeches, will decide how the new government is judged in the delta districts.

No detailed procurement figures were released with the opposition charge, and the government had not issued a point-by-point reply at the time of publication. The Justice will update this story when official procurement data is available.