‘Will you place that letter in public domain…’: MK Stalin questions FM Nirmala Sitharaman
Taking the matter to X, Stalin said that the letter sent by the Finance Minister to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary specifically mentioned the idea of stopping paddy premium.
“In the letter sent by your ministry to the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, it is clearly stated that the state government should consider stopping the bonus as the additional bonus given by the state for paddy has led to high production. I have not stated anything that was not in that letter. And there is no need to mention it,” he wrote.
Also Read: FM opposes Stalin, rejects curbs on paddy subsidies
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also emphasized that the letter clearly asked the State government to “review the State Government’s current bonus policy and consider discontinuing bonus on paddy”.
“Even though you stated in your tweet that it is the responsibility of the State Governments to give bonus above MSP to paddy farmers and no one is taking away their rights, the letter sent to us clearly asked us to review the existing bonus policy of the State Government and consider discontinuing paddy bonus.”
“If your current claim is true, will you make that letter public?” he asked. These remarks came in response to Sitharaman rejecting MK Stalin’s allegations that the central government had asked the state to stop paddy cultivation subsidies, calling them “factually baseless” and “deliberate distortion”.
Sitharaman, in a post on He emphasized that declaring a bonus above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) was the prerogative of state governments.
Also Read: Government tries to reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation: Stalin
Sitharaman accused Stalin of creating diversions to serve his “narrow, self-serving political interests” and urged him to adopt a positive approach and work in the national interest. “Tamil Nadu farmers deserve a government that works for their welfare, not a government that weaponises vote concerns,” he said.
Supporting the Minister of Finance’s statement, the Ministry of Finance also said that the notification sent to the states “is a recommendation to the states, not a guide.”
