Dharapuram farmers seek changes to Tamil Nadu crop-loan waiver

Farmers in Dharapuram, Tiruppur district, have expressed dissatisfaction with the Tamil Nadu government’s handling of a crop-loan waiver scheme covering loans from primary agricultural cooperative societies. K.M. Ramasamy, a representative of a non-political farmers’ association, said successive changes to the scheme had created confusion and raised expectations that might not be met.

He acknowledged that the government faced constraints but said the implementation required clarification. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam had promised a full waiver for small and marginal farmers with up to five acres and a 50% waiver for others. The government initially announced a full waiver for loans up to ₹50,000 and a 50% waiver for small farmers up to that amount, before revising the limits.

A later version covered loans up to ₹75,000 for farmers regardless of landholding size. It also provided a maximum waiver of ₹75,000 for loans between ₹75,000 and ₹1 lakh, and up to ₹35,000 for loans above ₹1 lakh, according to the report. Ramasamy questioned why loans taken in March 2026 were excluded when the stated coverage ran from May 2025 to February 2026.

He also raised the exclusion of borrowers who repaid loans by June 19 and the exclusion of central and state government pensioners. He proposed using an income limit instead. Another farmer, N.

Natarajan, said the scheme should cover western-district farmers who borrow to buy milch cows, arguing that dairy and animal husbandry form part of the wider agricultural sector. Senior officials responsible for policy formulation had not responded to The Hindu’s messages about the concerns, the report said.