Chennai HC directs govt to respond into irregularities in agricultural loans

Chennai, Aug 21: The Chennai High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to respond within a week to a petition seeking an order from the Anti-Corruption Department to inquire into irregularities in the disbursement of agricultural loans to the Selliyampalayam Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society in the Salem district.

The Tamil Nadu government issued a waiver last February waiving crop loans received by farmers in co-operative societies in Tamil Nadu.

Gunasekar, a member of the Salem District, Selliyampalayam Primary Agricultural Co-operative Society, had filed a case in the Chennai High Court alleging that president had been involved in fraudulent loans in advance after the government issued the order.

In his petition, he accused the co-operative union president of causing loss of lakhs of rupees to the co- operative society by giving crop loans to many under fake names from August 2020 to January 2021.

The petition also alleges that the chairman of the co-operative society has misused the government's waiver of crop loans in good faith to reduce the debt burden of farmers.

The petition seeks an order directing the Anti-Corruption Department to inquire into the crop loans provided by the Selliyampalayam Co-operative Society from June 2020 to February 2021.

Judge Anand Venkatesh, who heard the case, directed the Tamil Nadu government to respond to the petition and adjourned the hearing to September 1.