NAGAPATTINAM: Nambiyar Nagar fishing harbour took the centre stage in the last day campaign of AIADMK candidate Thanga Kathiravan in Nagapattinam Assembly constituency. He shared an AI-generated video on social media promising a loan waiver for the harbour constructed at the cost of Rs 34 crore through a self-funding scheme where public contribution was Rs 11.43 crore.
The project, which began in December 2020 and got completed in March 2023, has failed to generate expected returns, leaving hundreds of families struggling to repay loans.
Villagers claim that they decided to pitch in for the project when the authorities cited inadequate funds for the work. In 2019, nearly every family member in Nambiyar Nagar took individual loans of up to Rs 1 lakh under a self-sufficiency scheme, Namakku Naame Thittam, to collectively fund the harbour project.
“However, we were not able to repay the debt as our livelihood was affected after the ban on purse seine net fishing in the region. Situation turned worse after multiple lockdowns during Covid-19 pandemic,” said T Vel, a resident. A total of 1,340 people had availed themselves of loan sanctioned through a TN Grama Bank, and villagers said most of them are yet to be repaid.
“My husband and I took a loan of Rs 1 lakh each. We managed to repay his loan, but not mine. My CIBIL score has gone high, and I cannot avail myself of loads for my daughter in the future,” said S Sinduja, a fisherwoman and mother of a Class 10 student said.
Residents rued that both the DMK and AIADMK governments had acknowledged the issue, but failed to act. “Even AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami raised this issue during his campaign,” Vel added.