Today, the TVK government presented its first agriculture budget.
Former Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam met reporters today to criticize the announcements made in this budget.
He said...
''Farmers in Tamil Nadu were eagerly awaiting the first agriculture budget presented by the new government, hoping that it would bring many new announcements.
This is what change means!
But when I looked at this budget presented in the Assembly, it felt like sitting down and reading the same old book that had already been presented before, and it also felt like watching a rehearsal of the old budget for the seventh time.
Chief Minister Vijay, who came to power saying 'change,' can only bring about real change if he delivers more schemes than the previous government.
Instead of giving 4,000 rupees, giving 10,000 rupees, and instead of providing a 50% subsidy, providing a 100% subsidy would have been a change. But in this budget, no new announcements have been included, and the old situation continues.
Everything about going to Karnataka is just drama
When speaking in Thanjavur before the election, he said, "If there is such a thing as the next birth, one should be born into a farming family." The people must decide whether that was merely a stage line.
All the talk about going to meet the Karnataka Chief Minister over the Cauvery water issue is nothing but drama.
The attacks and arrests carried out against Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and other comrades who fought for farmers have created a huge wave of public outrage.
Farmers were at ease under the previous regime
Since the Mettur dam has not been opened, the delta regions are parched, and kuruvai cultivation has also been severely affected.
However, no relief has been announced. Farmers are facing the risk of interest as they are unable to repay interest-free loans of up to Rs. 20,000 crore. In addition, uninterrupted power supply has also been affected due to the irregular availability of 3-phase electricity.
During the previous regime, farmers were at ease. But within just three months of this government taking office, farmers have been forced to take to the streets and protest.
They are struggling solely on the hope that the election promise of loan waiver will be fulfilled. This government, which has borrowed Rs. 20,000 crore in just three months, has made changing the names of schemes that were under Kalaignar’s name its main task.
Although Minister Nirmal Kumar speaks about financial gains, power cuts continue under his rule. Schemes such as the Tidel Park and free education are all seeds sown by Kalaignar. They even hesitate to convene an all-party meeting for the Mekedatu issue.
In short, this budget has brought farmers nothing but deep disappointment."