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A consultative meeting of a federation representing more than 50 farmers associations was held in the Samayapuram area of Tiruchirappalli to discuss demands for a complete waiver of cooperative crop loans.
While addressing a press conference after the meeting, Tamil Nadu Farmers Protection Association founder Eesan Murugasamy urged the TVK government to waive a minimum of Rs 1 lakh in crop loans for all farmers without discrimination or conditions. He demanded that the government remove the eligibility condition restricting benefits to farmers who had taken loans within an 11-month period and extend the waiver to all eligible farmers who had been left out. He also called for the waiver to be granted based on landholdings rather than limiting the benefit to only one member of a family, pointing out that several members of the same family may be engaged in farming. Murugasamy warned that the federation would launch continuous protests if its demands were not met. He also said harassment of farmers and seizure of their properties in the name of loan recovery would not be acceptable. He urged the Tamil Nadu government and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to review the scheme for a fifth time, citing four previous reviews, and extend Rs 1 lakh in relief to all farmers. Earlier, Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran criticised the Vijay-led government for "arresting" 252 farmers near Samayapuram in Trichy district for attempting to protest and demand a crop loan waiver, which is in line with assurances made by the TVK in its manifesto before elections. "If you suppress the struggling farmers, will the problems be resolved, Chief Minister Mr. @TVKVijayHQ? In the vicinity of Irungkoor near Samayapuram in Trichy district, your police force has forcibly arrested 252 farmers who attempted to stage a peaceful, ongoing hunger strike demanding the complete waiver of crop loans as per the promise given by @TVKPartyHQduring the electionsthis deserves the strongest condemnation," Nagenthran posted on X. (ANI)
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