Chennai,

M. K. Stalin on Monday said the Centre had asked Tamil Nadu to review its paddy bonus policy and consider withdrawing the additional incentive, while Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rejected the claim as misleading and politically motivated.

In a post on X, Stalin said a letter from the Union government to the state’s Chief Secretary clearly mentioned that since Tamil Nadu’s additional bonus on paddy had led to bumper production, the state should consider discontinuing the incentive. He asked Sitharaman whether she was willing to place the communication in the public domain.

The chief minister said he had merely referred to the contents of the letter and had not made any claim beyond what was written in it. He further argued that if the Centre now maintained states were free to decide on bonuses above the Minimum Support Price (MSP), then the letter should be released publicly.

Responding on X, Sitharaman said the allegation that the Union government had directed Tamil Nadu not to provide incentives for paddy cultivation was “factually baseless” and a deliberate attempt to mislead farmers.

She said the January 9, 2026 letter was sent to all state Chief Secretaries, not just Tamil Nadu, and only advised states to align bonus policies with national priorities such as encouraging pulses, oilseeds and millets for nutritional security, self-reliance and sustainable farming.

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According to the minister, the communication was advisory in nature and not a directive. She said aligning state agricultural incentives with broader national goals was a shared responsibility and accused critics of misrepresenting the purpose of the letter.