Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has announced waiver of crop loans up to ₹50,000 taken from cooperative banks for small farmers. Loans up to ₹5,000 will also be waived off for big farmers. It is worth noting that this announcement will benefit 14.22 lakh farmers across the state and is estimated to cost ₹2,044 crore.
**Direct transfer of funds to co-operative banks**
The government said this amount will be transferred directly to cooperative banks to ensure that no outstanding loan remains in the name of farmers. This decision is a sigh of relief for those farmers whose crops have been damaged due to bad weather conditions or market uncertainties.
**Guidelines will be issued soon**
After this announcement of the Chief Minister, there is a wave of happiness among the farmers. Farmer leaders have welcomed this decision. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government is preparing to soon issue guidelines for the implementation of this scheme. District Collectors have been instructed to prepare a list of eligible farmers, so that no farmer is left behind.
**CM Vijay chairs meeting on Karnataka’s Mekedatu Dam project**
On Monday, Chief Minister Vijay Singh chaired a high-level meeting to review the state’s response to Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery river. Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the project, saying it could adversely impact the state’s share of the river water and cause losses to farmers. According to an official statement, the meeting was called after the “bhoomi pujan” (foundation stone laying ceremony) for the project was held in Karnataka recently. The main focus of the discussions was to ensure the protection of Tamil Nadu’s water rights and the interests of farmers.