Chief Minister Jayalalitha had waived crop loan of Rs. 5,786 crore given by Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies to 17 lakh small and medium farmers in the State, said Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise P. Thangamani here on Sunday.
Speaking at the 63rd All India Cooperative Week celebrations, the Minister said that cooperative societies in the State were performing well. He said that Rs. 232.14 crore loan received by 46,634 farmers in Namakkal district was also waived.
Mr. Thangamani said that loan provided by these societies have come as a major relief for farmers who have to suffer under the clutches of money lenders earlier.
Farmers in Namakkal district were provided sufficient loans and their repayment was also very good. He said that 96 per cent of the women self-help groups had repaid their loans at the right time in the district. A total of 41,200 farmers in the district were given drought relief assistance of Rs. 55.75 crore that had immensely benefited the farming community, he added. Mr. Thangamani said that 79 new ration shops were started in the past five years in which 55 shops were full-time shops and most of the shops were functioning in their own building.
Minister for Social Welfare, and Nutritious Noon Meal Programme V. Saroja said that cooperative societies had provided loan of Rs. 2.28 lakh crore in the last five years which no other societies distributed in the country. Ministers distributed awards to 17 cooperative societies for their best performance in the district.
