Chennai, May 26 (IANS) PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss on Tuesday welcomed the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to waive crop loans for small and marginal farmers through cooperative societies, while urging the state to introduce broader relief measures to address the challenges faced by the farming community.

In a statement, Ramadoss said the government’s order to write off crop loans of up to Rs 50,000 availed through cooperative societies since May last year was a positive and much-needed step. He also welcomed the decision to provide partial relief for loans in higher categories, noting that farmers with crop loans between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh would receive waivers ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 40,000.

He observed that while the announcement may not completely reduce the burden on all farmers, it should be viewed as an attempt to provide support and confidence to the agricultural community under difficult economic circumstances.

Ramadoss pointed out that farmers across various sectors are currently struggling due to multiple challenges, including recurring natural disasters, rising production costs and inadequate returns for their agricultural produce.

In this situation, he said the government should consider announcing more comprehensive relief packages aimed at addressing the broader financial distress affecting the farming sector. He further stressed that steps should be taken to ensure that all farmers receive essential agricultural inputs, such as seeds, fertilisers and other materials at subsidised prices through cooperative societies.

According to him, timely access to such resources would help reduce cultivation costs and improve productivity.

The PMK leader also called on the government to ensure that farmers who benefit from the crop loan waiver scheme are provided fresh loans through cooperative societies so that they can continue their agricultural activities without disruption. He said there should not be any administrative obstacles in extending such support.

Ramadoss additionally urged the state government to consider extending partial crop loan relief to farmers beyond the small and marginal category.

He said protecting farmers and improving their livelihoods remains one of the government’s foremost responsibilities, adding that sustained and farmer-friendly policies are essential to safeguard the agricultural sector, which he described as the backbone of Tamil Nadu.

–IANS

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