Interim budget 2024: Farmers dejected over no loan waiver

TIRUCHY: Expressing dejection over the Union interim Budget, farmers here on Thursday said it has failed to mention anything on their long pending loan waiver demand, poll promise of doubling their income, hike in MSP or GST waiver for farm tools and machineries.

Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, said, the Centre had waived the hefty loans of the corporate firms for the past nine years, but failed to waive the crop loans of the farmers, which they have long been waiting for. “Before every budget, we eagerly wait for the announcement of crop loan waiver, but disappointment only would be the result in each budget. At least there could be an announcement of interest waiver for the crop loans,” he said.

Similarly, there is no mention of MSP increase for paddy, sugarcane, millets and cotton.

Meanwhile, farmers have been expecting for the waiver of GST on farm equipment and machineries, but there was no mention of it. The budget also failed to notify initiation for increasing organic farming.

N Veerasekaran, state secretary, Bharathiya Kisan Sangam, said, usually there would be some new announcement in the budget before the general election, but we are disappointed as there was nothing new for the farming community. “Above all, it is just a photocopy of the previous budget,” he added.