Paddy farmers in Palakkad were disheartened by the Budget presented by Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal. The Budget dampened their expectations that there would be budgetary allocation for paddy procurement.
The Budget did not say anything about the cash the government owes to the farmers for the paddy procured from them. Although they expected that there would be some solace for them by way of an increase in the paddy procurement price, it did not take place.
The government, according to farmers, ignored most memorandums submitted by them. Even the memorandums sent by MLAs of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) were not considered, they alleged.
