Stalin urges agricultural loans waiver

Stalin who has been campaigning in Thanjavur for the party candidate Anjugam Boopathy, visited the house of the farmer Rajesh Kanna of Thiruvaiyaru who died of cardiac arrest on November 5 after crop failure and paid homage and consoled the family members. He gave the family a sum of Rs one lakh. Later, he said that the Delta farmers are undergoing untold misery due to water shortage which was the result of AIADMK government’s negligence. “So far nine farmers have died due to crop damage. The Delta farmers have witnessed loss in both Kuruvai and Samba cultivation. The farmers who cultivate turmeric too have been struggling. But neither the ministers nor the officials have visited the houses of the deceased farmers personally or issued any condoling message and this is the status of the state government,” stated Stalin. 

Meanwhile, Stalin opined that the state government should recommend waiver of agriculture loans availed through nationalised banks too. Only then the deaths of the farmers would be prevented. He also appealed to the state government to disburse compensation to the families of the deceased farmers. “Let the government at least save the families of the deceased farmers,” he appealed. Earlier, he charged that the state government is least bothered about the welfare of the farmers. He said that the Karnataka government has been convening an all- party meeting to discuss how to prevent releasing water to Tamil Nadu. 

Similarly, the Chief ministers of West Bengal and Kerala have taken immediate steps to solve the problem of the people but the government of Tamil Nadu has not been initiating any step to safeguard the farmers and agriculture, stressed Stalin. He also asked whether the Chief Minister of Tamil nadu had spoken to the counterparts in other states. “When Thalaivar Kaliagnar was the Chief Minister, he used to talk to the neighbouring state Chief ministers and solve the issues now and then,” Stalin added.

Criticising the BJP regime for reportedly writing off loans of the corporates to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore, the state Congress president Su Thirunavukkarasar on Thursday urged the Union Government to write off the educations loans of students. 

Thirunavukkarasar told that the government was understood to have waived Rs 6,000 crore worth loans availed by corporates. “Thousands of students who have availed education loans are struggling to get jobs. Their loan volume is only around Rs 3,000 crore. If the government can write off Rs 6,000 crore loan of corporates, it can also do away with the education loans of struggling students.” The state Congress chief also urged the Centre and RBI to intervene and save cooperatives banks, which were facing deep crisis. Stating that cash-dependent cooperative banks have nearly been paralysed owing to demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, Thirunavukkarasar said the farmers were struggling to avail loans.