Tiruchi, May 26 (IANS) Farmer organisations in Tamil Nadu on Monday criticised the state government’s recently announced crop loan waiver scheme, alleging that it falls short of the promises made during the Assembly election campaign and may provide limited benefits to the farming community.

Several farmer leaders warned that the decision could trigger dissatisfaction among rural voters and have political repercussions in the upcoming local body elections. Leaders of various farmers’ associations argued that the current waiver structure, which is linked to categories and prescribed loan ceilings, would not substantially help a large section of cultivators. Instead, they claimed, the scheme would mainly benefit Women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and borrowers who had availed loans within the specified limits.

P.R. Pandian, president of the Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations, criticised the government’s explanation regarding procedural limitations and said there was no need to cite the Union government or the Reserve Bank of India for a state-funded waiver scheme.

“The crop loan waiver announced by the state does not require approval from the Union government or the RBI. Citing these agencies is unnecessary and amounts to misleading farmers,” Pandian said.

He alleged that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had promised a complete crop loan waiver during the election campaign, and many farmers had supported his party based on those assurances. “This kind of partial waiver will not significantly benefit farmers. It is likely to help Women’s Self-Help Groups and others who fall within the prescribed ceiling. Farmers who placed their trust in the government are disappointed,” he said.

Farmer leader Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan also expressed concern over the category-based approach adopted by the government, calling it a potentially risky model.

Recalling previous loan waiver initiatives, he pointed out that former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had waived crop loans amounting to Rs 7,000 crore in 2006, while the AIADMK government under Edappadi K. Palaniswami waived loans worth Rs 12,110 crore in 2021.

“These measures benefited not just farmers but also people engaged in allied agricultural activities. The current decision risks damaging the government’s reputation and could create disappointment among farming communities,” he said.

Meanwhile, P.S. Masilamani, General Secretary of the CPI-affiliated Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, questioned the practical benefits of the categorisation process, stating that many marginal and small farmers may not receive meaningful relief. He urged the government to implement a broader waiver scheme in line with its election commitments.

–IANS

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