CHENNAI: Former deputy chief minister and leader of opposition in the assembly Udhayanidhi Stalin and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday slammed TVK govt for its crop loan waiver announcement, alleging that chief minister C Joseph Vijay diluted the party’s poll promise of a complete waiver for small farmers. In a post on X, Udhayanidhi said Vijay had assured during the election campaign that all crop loans taken by farmers owning up to five acres would be waived, but the govt had now restricted the benefit to loans up to Rs 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 said. The DMK youth wing secretary accused the ruling party of backtracking on its promise of free electricity as well. He said TVK had initially promised 200 units of free power for all, but later imposed conditions excluding consumers using more than 500 units, calling the crop loan waiver another instance of dilution of electoral assurances. Udhayanidhi said the crop loan waiver announcement reflected a continuing pattern of the ruling party’s electoral assurances and doubts over their implementation. Palaniswami too criticised 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 said crop loans worth Rs 12,110 crore were waived then, while the current waiver covered only Rs 2,044 crore. “Farmers will realise this announcement is a farce. No govt that has cheated farmers has remained in power for long,” Palaniswami said.
