Chennai, Feb 5 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to relax paddy procurement norms.

Stalin, in a letter to Modi, noted that nearly one lakh hectare of paddy fields in the Cauvery delta region is submerged in water due to unseasonal rains.

Unseasonal and sudden rains in the districts of Nagapattinam, Myladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Pudukottai have inundated about to be harvested paddy (Samba) crops, he said, adding that hence, the moisture content in the harvested paddy will be much higher than the stipulated volume.

He said that the relaxation of moisture norms is a mitigation measure and cited the Central government allowing relaxation in norms on paddy procurement during the last Kuruvai season.

A similar relaxation is required for the paddy farmers now, he said.

Stalin said: "I request you to issue necessary instructions to allow the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation to procure paddy from farmers with moisture content up to 22 per cent and for relaxation in the minimum limit of immature, shrunken and shriveled up to five per cent as against the normal three per cent and damaged, discoloured and sprouted up to seven per cent as against the normal five per cent with necessary value cut for this Samba crop."

Several organisations of paddy farmers have asked the Chief Minister for relaxation in procurement norms.

PMK state President Anbumani Ramadoss has also urged for the total exemption of paddy crops from moisture conditions.