The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu on Friday announced waiver of Rs 12,110 crore farm loans availed by 16.43 lakh farmers from cooperative banks.
Making the announcement in the state assembly, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said the scheme would come into immediate effect and the required financial allocation would be made by his government.
He said the AIADMK was the only party that fulfills promises and also comes up with fresh welfare measures.
Targeting the opposition DMK, he said the party had promised two acres of land, but failed to implement.
Meanwhile, BJP national president J P Nadda earlier said his party's alliance with the AIADMK would continue for the assembly elections in the state.
Both parties would face the polls together, he said, addressing a public meeting here, in his first assertion over the alliance in Tamil Nadu.
Assembly elections in the state are expected in April or early May and the two parties had faced the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as allies, with the DMDK and PMK besides others being the other constituents of the coalition.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the policies of the Central Government for Tamil Nadu's 'economic downturn' and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot control and blackmail the people like it is doing with the State government.
The former Congress President was addressing the people of the state during a roadshow organised in Perundurai of Tamil Nadu's Erode district, ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.
Alleging that PM Modi wants to control the people of Tamil Nadu, the Congress leader said, "Tamil Nadu used to be a manufacturing centre, an industrial centre, and that strength has been eliminated by the policies of Narendra Modi. He thinks that just as he can control and blackmail the state government, he can do the same to the people of this state. He did not realise that people cannot be controlled and they themselves decide for their future."
(With inputs from Agencies)
