The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Plea to bring all ryots under loan waiver scheme rejected

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Tamil Nadu

Plea to bring all ryots under loan waiver scheme rejected

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has dismissed a writ petition seeking a direction to the Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office and Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram to extend the crop loan waiver to all farmers, irrespective of the area held by them.

The First Bench of Chief Justice A.K. Ganguly and Justice F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla said that on the prima facie consideration of the submission, it was found that no one had the right to waiver of the loan he had taken.

The Centre, exercising its sovereign power, formulated the loan waiver scheme. Such policies were framed by the government in the larger public interest and possibly to tide over exigencies. In such cases, it was difficult for courts to intervene, because the formulation of such policies pertained to the executive wing of the state.

In his petition, R. Kaaruppan, an advocate, said the Union Government had announced a waiver of Rs.71,360 crore of farm loan. The scheme benefited only farmers having land up to 5 acres. It was discriminatory, as it excluded those having more than five acres of land.

The Bench said it was of the view that the submissions even though appear to be attractive and may of some importance, still it was difficult for the court to entertain the same for the purpose of interfering with the implementation of the policy in question.

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