Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, affiliated to the Communist Party of India, has urged the State and the Union government to waive all crop loans sanctioned by nationalised and cooperative banks in view of the heavy losses sustained by farmers on account of the prolonged drought following the monsoon failure last year.
It has demanded sanction of fresh crop loans unconditionally to enable farmers to take up samba cultivation in view of the good storage at Mettur reservoir. Compensation for crop losses sustained on account of the drought should be sanctioned immediately, the sangam said. Raising slogans pressing these and other demands, the association members resorted to a demonstration to highlight these demands near the Collectorate in city on Tuesday.
The association demanded sanction of a monthly pension of Rs. 3,000 for farmers above the age of 60 and a separate Union budget for the farm sector.