39 Thanjai ryots happy over hard won jewel loan waiver

TIRUCHY: After a long fight for around one year, as many as 39 farmers from Thanjavur got waiver of jewel loans worth Rs 32.65 lakh.

Sources said 109 members from the primary cooperative society (No 1230) were announced to be eligible to avail jewel loan waiver during the previous AIADMK government. However, out of the total 109 members, 39 were denied waiver citing some reason.

Subsequently, the farmers, who were denied of the loan waiver, approached higher officials of the cooperative society and raised the issue at the farmers’ grievances redressal meetings. But, their grievance was not redressed.

Meanwhile, the aggrieved farmers organised a series of protests since December 2021 and Tahsildhar D Sukumar held peace talks during which he assured to resolve their issue. Even after this, the cooperative society denied the waiver citing a few issues.

On September 30 this year, the farmers announced a waiting protest until they were also granted loan waiver and various farmers associations extended support to it.

Officials, who met the protesting farmers on September 30, promised to grant them loan waiver on October 3.

On October 3, loans to the tune of Rs 33.48 lakh, including the interest, was waived and jewels weighing 172.250 sovereign were returned to the 39 farmers.