As many of them have suffered losses due to drought-like condition prevailing in Madurai district in the last two years, the farmers have appealed to officials to cancel auction of gold jewels pledged for loans with cooperative banks.
Speaking at the grievances meeting held at the Collectorate here on Friday, many farmers claimed that they were unable to repay jewel loans raised nearly three years ago. “Since we have suffered major losses in the last few years, we are unable to repay the jewel loans. We are still not in a position to repay,” they told District Revenue Officer (DRO) L. Chitrarasu, who chaired the meeting.
Officials from cooperative banks and district administration asked the farmers to start paying the interest so that the jewels could be re-pledged to avoid auction. “It is impossible for the banks to function effectively if there is default and we request the farmers to cooperate,” they said.
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As farming activities are going on in full swing in the district, the farmers appealed to the officials from the Department of Agriculture to provide adequate harvesting and threshing machines and other machinery. “Since many blocks do not have adequate machines, we are finding it hard to complete farming activities. A few of the available machines are not useful as they were ordered without ascertaining our requirements,” a farmer from Kottampatti said. Agriculture officials said proposals were now being received from the farmers at the block level for farm machinery. “Once the list is finalised, we will supply the machines at the block level from January,” said Joint Director of Agriculture Jaisingh Gnanadurai.