THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With back to back farmer suicides reported from across the state, the government is taking urgent measures to address the farmers’ crisis. A special cabinet meet to be convened on Tuesday will urge the banks to go for a more humane approach and refrain from serving notices to farmers. The Chief Minister will also hold a state level bankers committee meet on Wednesday to take up the issue.
The government is likely to urge banks to go for a moratorium on loans taken by farmers in flood-affected districts. As per reports, more than 15000 farmers in Idukki have received bank notices on loans.
“The government will urge the banks not to serve notices to the debt-ridden farmers who are in crisis following the August floods. Also, the cabinet will look into other possible steps including requesting banks to write off all farmers’ loans - loans taken by farmers with agriculture as their sole source of income - instead of writing off only agricultural loans. Waiving interest for loans is also under consideration,” agriculture minister V S Sunil Kumar told ‘Express’.
The minister pointed out that the bank notices have been sending a panic wave among the farmers.