Dharapuram farmers unhappy over T.N. government’s approach on crop loan waiver

The  State government‘s approach towards the implementation of the waiver scheme of crop loans extended by primary agricultural cooperative societies has left many farmers in Dharapuram of Tiruppur district unhappy. 

K.M. Ramasamy, a senior functionary of an association of farmers which, according to him, does not owe allegiance to any political party, complains that the government’s couple of changes in the waiver scheme has only created more confusion among the agriculturists and, unnecessarily, created false expectations among the farming community, even though he appreciates that the government has its own constraints. 

In contrast to the electoral promise of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam that a 100% waiver would be given to small and marginal farmers (up to five acres of land) who took loans from primary agricultural cooperative societies and 50% waiver to others, the TVK regime had, initially,  announced a full waiver to ₹50,000 and a 50% waiver for small farmers on loans up to Rs 50,000.  Subsequently, it revised the waiver for the loans up to ₹75,000 availed by farmers, irrespective of the size of their landholdings. One more change was made by providing a maximum waiver of ₹75,000 for those who had obtained loans in the range of ₹75,000-₹1,00,000 and a maximum waiver of ₹35,000 for those who took loans exceeding ₹1 lakh. 

Referring to the coverage of the loans given between May 2025 and February 2026, Mr Ramasamy wonders about the exclusion of March 2026 as it is, invariably, during the month that a large number of crop loan gets sanctioned. Besides, those who repaid loans up to June 19 have not been given any relief.  All pensioners of the Central and State governments have been excluded from the coverage and this norm should be changed by introducing an income limit.

N. Natarajan, another farmer of the constituency, points out that in the western districts, farmers take loans for the purchase of milch cows. The loan waiver scheme should include such farmers also, as animal husbandry and dairy sectors come under the overall agricultural sector. 

Senior government officials, looking after policy formulation, have not replied to the messages sent by The Hindu on the issues raised by the farmers.