VELLORE: Reiterating their demand for a full crop loan waiver, the farmers in Vellore have urged cooperative banks to stop pressuring farmers to repay crop loans.
Sharing their concerns at the monthly grievance redressal meeting at the Vellore collectorate on Friday, the farmers sought assurance from the district administration that cooperative banks would stop sending loan overdue notices until the government makes a clear decision on the crop loan waiver.
While the government's latest announcement stated that crop loans up to Rs 75,000 taken from cooperative banks will be waived, the farmers insisted on their earlier demand for a complete loan waiver.
S Udhayakumar, state secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, pointed out that farmers continue to receive notices from cooperative banks and urged collector PS Leela Alex to direct the banks to wait until the state government conveys a clear decision on the waiver.
At the meeting, farmers also raised issues related to wildlife attacks, inadequate compensation, and pending electricity connections under the Tatkal scheme, despite having paid the one-time fees.
Mango farmers shared that some of them were cutting their trees down because procurement and prices had hit a low in the latest season. They sought the agriculture department officials to consider a proposal for setting up a dry mango powder manufacturing facility in the district to make best use of the yield.
Meanwhile, Jayasamy, a farmer from Sholavaram, came shirtless to protest the district administration's inaction on his previous petitions seeking to stop a quarry from mining in the area. Collector Leela assured that the revenue divisional officer would inspect the area soon.
Further, farmers urged the administration to promote sugarcane farming, pointing out that they were suffering due to the closure of the Ambur sugar mill.