The Federation of Farmers Associations has urged the State government to write off farm loans sanctioned by the nationalised banks.
In a petition submitted to District Collector K.S. Palanisamy, representatives of the federation welcomed Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s decision to waive crop loans sanctioned by cooperative institutions. However, the State government should take steps to waive loans sanctioned by the nationalised banks, the memorandum said. The federation expressed its concern over the use of recovery agents by nationalised banks for recovering the dues from farmers.
The petition wanted check-dams to be built across the Coleroon and the Cauvery to harness the surplus flood waters going waste into sea.
Puliyur A. Nagarajan, C. Masilamani, Ayilai Siva Suriyan, Dikshitar Balasubramaniam, and P. Ayyakannu — all office-bearers of the federation, presented the memorandum.
Petitions galore
It was petitions galore at the Collector’s Office at the weekly grievance redress meeting on Monday. A group of farmers from Ariyur village near Tiruchi who had repaid their loans to the cooperative society, submitted a petition demanding “refund” of their repayment sum.
Led by M. Balakrishnan, the farmers said they had re-paid the loan because of “coercive action” by the cooperative officials. They had pledged their jewellery with a nearby scheduled bank to repay the cooperative dues.
TASMAC shops
Service organisations and political parties submitted petitions to the Collector, suggesting a list of TASMAC shops for closure under the first phase as announced by the Chief Minister. The Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam identified about 15 shops in the city for immediate closure.
J. Mohamed Rafiq, its district secretary, said the shops were located close to women’s colleges or places of worship. Their selection in the first phase would benefit not only the alcoholics but also members of the public.
M. Kumar, district executive member of the Communist Party of India, said a TASMAC shop which posed a hindrance to vehicular traffic at Kammala Street in Manachanallur should be immediately closed.
