Chennai: Chief Minister K Palaniswami marked the rollout of the Rs 12,110 crore crop loan waiver scheme for over 16 lakh farmers in Tamil Nadu by giving away certificates to nine farmers on Saturday.
The certificates state that loans taken from cooperative banks and due on January 31, 2021 have been waived.
Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Agriculture Minister K P Anbalagan and senior officials led by Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan participated in the event at the state secretariat.
Palaniswami had earlier announced a waiver of Rs 12,110.74 crore crop loans availed by 16,43,347 farmers from cooperative banks. He posted the announcement from his Twitter account as well.
The move was made after considering the damage to crops following back to back cyclones 'Nivar' and 'Burevi' last year, besides the heavy rains that lashed the nation.
Palaniswami had said that the waiver would pave the way for farmers to continue cultivation without any hassles.
The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu has stated that 16.43 lakh farmers will benefit from the farm loan waiver scheme.
Following the announcement, Government Orders were issued on February 8, setting the stage for the scheme's implementation.
(With inputs from PTI)
