Stalin wants PM to waive TN farmers' loan

DMK working president M K Stalin on Saturday visited the protesting Tamil Nadu farmers at Jantar Mantar and demanded that the prime minister waive off their loans as he had promised during the Uttar Pradesh polls.

Stalin said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy must come to the national capital and take up the issue with the Centre.

Slamming the BJP for failing to fulfil its promises, Stalin said nothing seemed to have changed even while it was in power.

The farmers have been in the national capital since March 14, demanding that their loans from the nationalised banks be written off.

The Centre released a statement saying an amount of Rs 2,014.45 crore has been given to the state.

The assistance to Tamil Nadu comprises Rs 1,748.28 crore for drought (kharif), Rs 264.11 crore for cyclonic storm Vardha and Rs 2.06 crore under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, it said.