Jaya's charge total lie: Karunanidhi

Chennai, Dec 14 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today dubbed as ''total lies'' AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa's charge that the DMK government had stopped procurement of paddy from farmers in Thanjavur district.

Mr Karunanidhi told newspersons at the Secretariat that his enquiries with Thanjavur District Collector revealed the procurement was still going on and Ms Jayalalithaa's charge was a total lie. The Collector had told him that even after the Kuruvai harvest was almost completed, the procurement centres were still functioning in the district, he added.

Food Minister E V Velu had also given a detailed reply to Ms Jayalalithaa's charge, Mr Karunanidhi added.

Alleging that farmers were in distress as paddy procurement had been stopped by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation in Thanjavur District, Ms Jayalalithaa had warned of an agitation if the state government did not start procuring paddy from farmers.

UNI WS GKT LS VV1738