Madurai: An expert committee, led by agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan, will visit Idukki district on August 20 to inspect the cardamom plantations there that had been affected by various factors including drought for the past five years.
Member of Parliament from Madurai P. Mohan, who belongs to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), had requested the Centre to take steps to protect the cardamom growers and cardamom plantations and provide them loan and other relief.
Mr. Mohan had said the growers were not even able to pay back the loan taken by them from banks following continuous drought for five years and they were not getting fresh loans also.
Meanwhile, the banks were coming out with advertisements carrying the pictures of defaulters. The MP had urged the Centre to arrange for fresh loans for the cardamom growers. Requesting the Government to write off their loan, the MP wanted a special package to be given to the cardamom growers as was done in Nagpur, and a special cardamom board formed.
The special secretary to Dr. Swaminathan had written to the MP that a special package would be announced shortly. — PTI
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