CPI to demand credit for farmers, students in TN

Chennai, June 14 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (CPI) will stage protest demonstrations all over Tamil Nadu on June 26, urging the Centre to take steps to provide loans for farmers and students.

Talking to newspersons here today, CPI State Secretary D Pandian said youths, farmers and party activists would participate in the agitation to be held in front of all the State and Central government offices.

He said Union Finance P Chidambaram had said that loans to the tune of Rs two lakh crore would be given to the farmers through banks.

The modalities of its implementation were not yet announced due to which the banks were turning away the farmers who were told to approach the cooperative societies.

Similarly, Mr Chidambaram at every function was speaking of providing educational loans to students without collateral security, but the banks refused to give loans on the ground that no such orders had been issued by the Centre.

The agitation, which would not be held in Madurai West Assembly constituency where bypolls were scheduled on that day, was to draw the Centre's attention to fulfill its promise given by it, he added.

Mr Pandian said the CPI would also stage a demonstration in front of the Malaysian Consulate Office in the city before the end of this month, demanding immediate release of 20,000 Indians, who are working as bonded labourers in that country.

About 5,000 Indians were languishing in Malaysian jails for the last five years without any trial.

Terming it as a gross violation of human rights, he said the party would stage a demonstration urging the Centre to take steps to secure their release.

UNI