Chennai: Leader of Opposition in the assembly Udhayanidhi Stalin and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday slammed the TVK government for its crop loan waiver announcement, accusing Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay of diluting the party’s poll promise of a complete waiver for small farmers.
Udhayanidhi Stalin's Criticism
In a post on X, Udhayanidhi stated that during the election campaign, Vijay assured that all crop loans taken by farmers owning up to five acres would be waived. However, the government has now restricted the benefit to loans up to ₹50,000. “This is an injustice to farmers and a breach of trust. They are carrying out a scam in the name of crop loan waiver. Should people mentally prepare themselves for more such deceptions from the CM?” he questioned.
The DMK youth wing secretary also accused the ruling party of backtracking on its promise of free electricity. He pointed out that TVK initially promised 200 units of free power for all, but later excluded consumers using more than 500 units from the decision.
Palaniswami's Remarks
Palaniswami too criticized Vijay’s announcement, terming it a “scientific scam” carried out under the guise of relief for micro and small farmers. Comparing the present scheme with the waiver announced during the AIADMK regime in 2021, he highlighted that crop loans worth ₹12,110 crore were waived then, while the current waiver covered only ₹2,044 crore.
“Farmers will realize that this announcement is a farce. No government that cheated farmers has remained in power for long,” Palaniswami added.
The opposition leaders' statements come amid growing discontent over the TVK government's handling of agricultural policies. The crop loan waiver was a key promise during the election, and critics argue that the scaled-down version fails to address the needs of small and marginal farmers.
