Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai
Chennai, May 25: Vijay on Monday announced a cooperative bank crop loan waiver scheme aimed at providing relief to farmers across Tamil Nadu.
Under the scheme, marginal farmers will receive a complete waiver of crop loans up to Rs 50,000, while larger farmers will be given relief of up to Rs 5,000 on their outstanding cooperative bank loans.
The chief minister said the initiative is expected to benefit around 14.22 lakh farmers across the state, with the government set to spend nearly Rs 2,044 crore on the programme.
The announcement comes as a major relief measure for farmers facing financial stress due to rising cultivation expenses and uncertain agricultural conditions.
Meanwhile, Vijay also chaired a high-level meeting regarding Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery River, which Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed over concerns relating to water sharing and its impact on farmers.
According to an official statement, the meeting was convened following the recent “Bhumi puja” conducted for the project in Karnataka. Discussions focused on safeguarding Tamil Nadu’s water rights and protecting the interests of farmers dependent on Cauvery water.
Officials also reviewed the legal status of the dispute, including the earlier decision of the Supreme Court of India dismissing Tamil Nadu’s review plea related to the project.
The court had observed that technical matters linked to the project fall within the jurisdiction of central expert bodies.
Following the review, Vijay directed officials to expedite further legal measures after detailed consultations while keeping the court’s observations in mind.
Karnataka has proposed constructing a balancing reservoir at Mekedatu on the Cauvery river, stating that the project is intended to improve drinking water supply and power generation.
However, Tamil Nadu, being the lower-riparian state, has maintained that the project could adversely affect the flow of water reaching its regions.
Ministers N Anand, Adhav Arjuna and R Nirmalkumar attended the meeting along with Advocate General Vijay Narayan and senior officials.