Minister for Cooperation Sellur K. Raju on Saturday instructed the department officials to extend crop loans to delta farmers liberally, based on the need and within norms.
Chairing a meeting with senior officials of the Department of Cooperation from Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts here, Mr. Raju reviewed the sanction of crop loans in the districts and said additional funds would be allotted if necessary. Till May 31, about ₹11.06 crore has been disbursed as crop loans by cooperative institutions in the four districts this year, he said.
He also reviewed the availability of fertilisers and seeds in the districts and instructed the officials to ensure that all primary agricultural cooperative societies had adequate stocks of fertilisers. Currently, about 13,469 tonnes of fertilisers were available with the 647 cooperative societies in the four districts.
In line with the Centre’s decision to encourage cashless transactions, RuPay cards would be given to farmers getting crop loans from cooperative societies. The distribution of the same would be launched Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday, he added.
Earlier, in a brief interaction with media persons after inspecting the Farm Fresh outlet, cold and ripening chambers of the Uyyakondan Thirumalai Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society at Nachikurichi in the outskirts of the city, Mr. Raju said the Farm Fresh outlets in the State have been well received by the people and they also ensured good prices for farmers eliminating the role of middlemen.
Responding to the demands for extending crop loan waiver to all farmers, Mr. Raju said the State government has fulfilled its election promise of writing off the crop loans of small and marginal farmers.
Commenting on Revenue Minister R. B. Udhayakumar’s insistence on establishing the proposed AIIMS hospital at Madurai, Mr. Raju observed that the Centre had asked for three sites and the State had given its recommendation.
“I appeal to the Union Minister Pon.Radhakrishnan to take steps to establish the hospital in Tamil Nadu at the earliest,” he said.
Vellamandi N. Natarajan, Minister for Tourism, S. Valarmathi, Minister for Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare, P. Kumar, MP, K. Rajamani, Collector, and officials were present.
