‘Will you place that letter in public domain?’ – MK Stalin challenges Nirmala Sitharaman over paddy bonus row

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Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has issued a challenge to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, following her accusation that his statement—claiming the Central Government had ordered Tamil Nadu not to provide incentives for paddy cultivation—was merely an act of diversion.

Nirmala Sitharaman’s clarification

On her ‘X’ platform, Nirmala Sitharaman clarified that the letter in question—which suggested that state government policies regarding incentives for pulses, oilseeds, and paddy should be aligned with national priorities—was not addressed solely to Tamil Nadu, but was a communication sent to the Chief Secretaries of all states. She further stated that this measure would pave the way for farmers to cultivate crops with high domestic demand, thereby enabling them to earn greater profits.

Asserting that the announcement of incentives or bonuses over and above the Minimum Support Price falls within the exclusive purview of state governments—and that no one has infringed upon this authority—Sitharaman accused Chief Minister Stalin of engaging in calculated diversionary tactics for narrow, self-serving political gains, rather than acting constructively with the nation’s interest at heart. She criticized the DMK, alleging that while the nation seeks solutions, the party creates controversies; and while the Central Government extends constructive cooperation, the DMK attempts to exploit it for the sake of electoral politics.

Stalin’s challenge

Responding to Nirmala Sitharaman’s post via a message on his ‘X’ page, Chief Minister Stalin raised the following questions: “The yield of paddy continues to rise due to the incentive provided by the Tamil Nadu government. Consequently, the letter sent by your Ministry to the Chief Secretary of the Tamil Nadu government very clearly states that this incentive must be discontinued. I have not spoken about anything that is not contained in that letter; nor do I have any need to do so.”

“In the letter addressed to us, you have clearly directed us to ‘reconsider’ the incentive currently being provided by the State government and to ‘examine’ the possibility of discontinuing such incentives for paddy. In your recent post, however, you have claimed that ‘providing an incentive over and above the Minimum Support Price is a decision of the State government, and no one has taken that right away.’ If this assertion of yours is indeed true, are you prepared to make that letter public?” Stalin asked.