While welcoming the State government’s decision to waive crop loans given by cooperative societies to small and marginal farmers, the agriculturists have demanded waiver of loans availed from nationalised banks also.
At the farmers’ grievance day meeting chaired by Collector M. Karunakaran here on Friday, farmers S.T. Shaik Maideen, P. Velu Mayil, P. Perumbadaiyar and S. Kasamuthu raised this issue. They said that loans given by nationalised banks should be waived and fresh loans should be given through cooperative societies for ‘kar’ paddy season.
Dr. Karunakaran said that any decision on waiving crop loans availed from nationalised banks should be taken only by the Central government.
Joint Registrar of Cooperative Societies Rajendran said that the State government had categorised the agriculturists having five acres of cultivable lands as ‘small farmers’ and those having 2.50 acres as ‘marginal farmers,’ who were alone eligible for crop loan waiver, as per the government’s announcement.
The beneficiary list would be released in the next 15 days, he said.
Mr. Velu Mayil said that water for ‘kar’ paddy was yet to be released on Palayam, Tirunelveli and Kodagan channels and further delay would affect the harvest as the northeast monsoon which will arrive in October could play spoilsport.
The farmers also urged the government to increase copra procurement price, prevent invasion of wild animals into farms and repairing of shutters in irrigation channels and tanks.
Dr. Karunakaran informed that the district, which was blessed with 1,421 mm rainfall last year against the annual average of 814 mm, had received only 164.54 mm between January and June this year against the average rainfall of 249.10 mm (34 per cent deficit). Consequently, 383 systemised tanks and 631 non-systemised tanks were totally dry. Hence, the farmers should use the water judiciously during ‘kar’ paddy season.
As water had been released from dams, the district administration had ensured adequate stock of certified paddy seeds, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Officials had been instructed to conduct surprise inspections in the outlets to prevent sale of agro inputs at inflated prices.
“The inspection teams have so far imposed ban on sale of three tonnes of fertilizers and 3,512 litres of bio-pesticides as no proper permission had been obtained for selling them,” he said.
Decision on waiving crop loans availed from nationalised banks should be taken by the Central government: Collector
