TIRUCHY: The crop loan waiver announced by the State government will not benefit the farmers but will help only the Women's Self-Help Groups, who have availed of loans within the ceiling. This is against the poll promise, and it will be reflected in the local body elections, opined the Delta farmers on Monday."Above all, it would set a wrong precedent for other states as well," they said.
According to PR Pandian, president, Coordination Committee of All Farmers Association, the crop loan waiver from the state funds does not need a nod from the Union government or from the Reserve Bank of India. Citing the union government and RBI is pointless and is an eyewash, he said.
“This sort of waiver will never help any farmer, but it would support those Women Self Help Groups who had availed loans within the ceiling. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had given a promise for complete waiver, but he had disappointed the farmers who had trusted him and opposed the DMK for failing to fulfil the promises to the farmers,” Pandian said.
While Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan said that the announcement based on the category is quite dangerous, the farmers suspect that the Chief Minister was misguided by the officials.
“In 2006, the then DMK Chief Minister M Karunanidhi waived total crop loan to the tune of Rs 7,000 crore, while the AIADMK government led by Edappadi K Palaniswami waived the loans to the tune of Rs 12,110 crore in 2021. All these benefited not only the farmers but also the people involved in allied agricultural works,” Vimalnathan said.
The state government should withdraw the current announcement and fulfil the poll promise given to the people-- SS Vimalnathan
He also cautioned that it would mar the reputation of the TVK Government and the Chief Minister, and the farmers who trusted him are disappointed, and it would reflect in the upcoming local body polls. “Above all, this would also set a wrong precedent for the other states also, and so the state government should withdraw the current announcement and fulfil the poll promise given to the people,” he said.
Meanwhile, PS Masilamani, General Secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam affiliated to CPI, said tiny farmers are categorised as those who possess the land up to 1.5 acres, and they never avail crop loans, while the small farmers who possess land upto 2,5 acre would avail a small amount of loan with restrictions, and the announcement based on the category would never benefit the farmers.
“The state government should write off the loans as per the promises given to the farmers during the election,” Masilamani said.