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Order on loan waiver soon

PUDUCHERRY: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Friday told the Assembly that the government would shortly issue a G.O. on waiver of loans obtained by persons from the cooperative housing societies.

Replying to a question by Leader of the Opposition A.M.H. Nazeem, he said the government had been considering to write off the loan along with interest and penalty.

Mr. Nazeem (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) pointed out that necessary G.O.s had not been issued on waiver of farm loan and housing loan received from the cooperative institutions, though the government had made announcements in this regard.

Mr. Rangasamy said the government had already announced that farm loan to the tune of Rs.27 crore would be waived.

As per the Centre’s advice to implement it with the funds available with the Union Territory government, Rs.5 crore had been released to the State Cooperative Bank last year and Rs.7.5 crore had been earmarked for the current year, he added.

Referring to the announcement made in the Union budget on the waiver of farm debts to the tune of Rs.60,000 crore, he said the Union Territory government would take steps to provide relief to the farmers based on the Centre’s formula in this regard. The government would ensure that relief was extended to those farmers who were left out, he said.

Answering A. Namassivayam (Congress), Mr. Rangasamy said that the government had disbursed Rs.3.20 lakh for those whose houses were damaged in the rain that lashed Puducherry in December, 2007 and March.

On the issue raised by R.K.R. Anantharaman (Pattali Makkal Katchi), the Chief Minister said the government had been considering construction of flyovers, widening of highways and laying bypass roads to reduce traffic congestion in Puducherry.

Minister for Industries and Agriculture V. Vaithilingam said the government would consider appointing B.Sc. (agriculture) graduates as teachers in higher secondary schools after agriculture was introduced as a subject.

Replying to R. Siva (DMK), he said that during the last five years, 18 such graduates had been appointed as agricultural officers and 120 students had joined the course during this period. He attributed the low strength in the B.Sc. (agriculture) course to interest shown by the candidates to join medicine and engineering courses.

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