Thanjavur: TNCC president S Thirunavukkarasar has urged both the Central and the state governments to put an end to the incidents of suicide by farmers by waiving all the loans availed by them from nationalised banks.

Addressing media persons here today, Thirunavukkarasar said that farmers in Thanjavur, termed as the granary of Tamil Nadu, were now committing suicide as their crops were damaged. “To put an end to the incidents of suicide by farmers, both the Central and the state governments should waive all loans availed by farmers from nationalised and cooperative banks,” he said.

He also urged the Central and the state governments to distribute a sum of Rs 15 lakh as compensation to the family of the famers who had died as their crops failed. The ministers should visit and inspect the affected fields, he said and added that steps were now being taken to constitute a team on behalf of the Congress to inspect affected farms.

Eighty per cent of people live in rural areas, and asking poor villagers to do money transactions through mobile banking service is tantamount to insulting them, Thirunavukkarasar said.