CHENNAI: The DMK on Tuesday urged the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government to fulfil its Assembly election promise of waiving the entire crop loan of farmers, alleging that the present relief announced by the State was inadequate.
In a statement, DMK Farmers' Wing secretary AKS Vijayan said a farmer, Somasundaram, had allegedly died under mental stress after not receiving a complete waiver of his crop loan.
Claiming that the TVK had altered its promise after assuming office, Vijayan said, "During the election campaign, TVK leader Vijay assured farmers that crop loans would be waived based on the extent of cultivation. However, after becoming Chief Minister, the government announced the waiver based on the loan amount instead."
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra, Vijayan said that the state had announced a crop loan waiver benefiting over 55.72 lakh farmers involving Rs 36,585 crore.
"If Maharashtra can implement such a large-scale loan waiver, why can't Tamil Nadu?" he asked.
Vijayan also pointed to the delay in opening the Mettur dam for irrigation this year, stating that farmers were already under severe distress due to uncertainty over cultivation.
"In these circumstances, the government should waive the entire crop loan of farmers and provide Rs 50 lakh as compensation to the family of the deceased farmer Somasundaram," he demanded.