Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

‘All eligible farmers must get debt relief’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Karshaka Sanghom has demanded that the Centre include all farmers in the debt relief package announced by Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

Sanghom State secretary C.K. Padmanabhan, MLA, said in a statement here on Tuesday that Mr. Chidambaram had said in the budget speech that the government would clear the debts of all farmers having less than five acres of land. But a sizeable number of eligible farmers stand to lose the benefit as per the guidelines issued later. According to the guidelines, the arrear instalments and its interest only will be covered by the relief.

The relief has not been extended to the loans. This was a blatant violation of the promise. Also, agriculture loans taken before 1997 will not be included in the package. The government should amend the guidelines so that all eligible farmers get relief, he said.

The Centre should take a cue from the State government which decided to give interest-free loans to paddy cultivators, he said.

The sanghom would organise a 24-hour dharna before the Raj Bhavan from 10 a.m. on July 11. LDF convenor Vaikom Viswan would inaugurate the dharna, he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Toonz tells a Siva tale
Farmers to get soil health cards
Government to promote low-cost building material
Three diphtheria deaths confirmed
‘All eligible farmers must get debt relief’
NRI Cell
Quick care for accident victims
Protests against ‘forcible discharge’
Oman may grant amnesty for Indians
Mobile phones banned in schools
Efforts on to lift Cusat to IIT standards: Baby
P. Ramachandran mourned
Karunakaran loyalists on KPCC
State seeks changes in draft CZM provisions
Directive to pensioners
Women’s commission rescues tribal woman
Mobile phone ban justifies city schools’ stand
Panchayat urged to revive paddy fields
Hartal call brings trade bodies’ rivalry to the fore
Funds sanctioned
Records handed over
Drug Information Centre at MCH
KPCC forms panel on book
Thiruvananthapuram today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu