R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, FEB 6
The Tamil Nadu All Farmers Associations Coordination Committee president, PR Pandian welcomes the crop loan waiver announcement by ‘Farmer’ Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami here on Friday.
Addressing reporters, Pandian said, the announcement by the Chief Minister comes at a time when the farmers were affected badly due to continuous cyclones after a spell of drought for four years.
The government should implement the loan waiver scheme immediately irrespective of categorization from the cooperative banks.
He urged the Chief Minister to prevail over the Centre to waive crop loans availed by farmers from nationalised banks.
Though the waiver announcement comes ahead of the forthcoming state assembly election eyeing to harvest the confidence of farmers towards the ruling party, the farmers see it as a goodwill initiative to reduce the burden of the farmers who were affected by the drought and floods.
When asked why the state government could not write off the crop loans availed by the farmers from nationalized banks, Pandian said, the strings of the banks are with the central government, hence it is not possible.
Accusing the Prime Minister of following anti-farmer stance, the farmers’ leader said that even if the state comes forward, the centre will not allow waiving loans taken from the nationalized banks.
While praising the farmers for bumper food production despite coronavirus pandemic, the Prime Minister continues his anti-farmer stance, Pandian alleged.
