Thiruvananthapuram, Feb. 10 -- BJP Kerala chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday wrote to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, requesting the exclusion of the southern state from its direction to the State government to discontinue the additional bonus given to paddy farmers.

"The state government has failed to provide timely and adequate financial support to paddy farmers. As a result, many farmers are compelled to depend on private moneylenders to meet cultivation expenses, leading to increased indebtedness and severe financial stress," he said.

This comes a day after Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan slammed the Union government for suggesting discontinuing the bonus given by the State over and above the minimum support pric...