Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has announced a farm loan relief scheme through cooperative banks, offering partial waivers to small farmers while falling short of the sweeping promises made during the election campaign. The announcement has triggered dissatisfaction among farmers, who accused the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam of abandoning its pledge to completely waive agricultural loans for farmers owning up to five acres of land. The party has so far remained silent over the criticism.
The debt relief package was unveiled after a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister. Under the scheme, farmers with agricultural loans below Rs 50,000 will have their entire debt written off. However, small farmers whose loans are below the same threshold will receive only a 50 per cent waiver, a move that has drawn sharp backlash from farming communities expecting full relief.
For loans above Rs 50,000, the government introduced a graded concession structure tied to strict conditions. Farmers with debts between Rs 50,001 and Rs 60,000 will receive a Rs 40,000 reduction, while those owing between Rs 60,001 and Rs 70,000 will get Rs 30,000 waived. Loans between Rs 70,001 and Rs 80,000 will qualify for a Rs 20,000 concession, and debts between Rs 80,001 and Rs 1 lakh will receive a Rs 10,000 reduction. Agricultural loans above Rs 1 lakh will get only Rs 5,000 in relief.
Officials stated that only farmers who borrowed between May 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026, would be eligible for the benefits, claiming the scheme would ease rural financial distress.
In a separate announcement, the Tamil Nadu government also allowed newly released Tamil films to screen five shows daily during their first week in theatres.