Waiving paltry sum of edu loans betrays DMK’s tall poll claims, slams Annamalai

CHENNAI: State BJP president K Annamalai on Monday unleashed an attack on the ruling DMK government, accusing it of reneging on its promise to waive education loans.

Pointing out the State government’s recent announcement to cancel educational loans worth a paltry Rs 48.95 crore, Annamalai said, “The DMK government’s failure to fulfil its promise has left thousands of students in the lurch, forcing them to default on their loans.”

Citing data from December 31, 2021, Annamalai claimed that the total education loan balance in the State stood at a staggering Rs 16,302 crore.

“Against this backdrop, the government’s decision to cancel a mere Rs 48.95 crore worth of loans is seen as a “drop in the ocean,” he said.

Annamalai has also taken umbrage with the government’s rationale for cancelling loans only for students who can be identified.

This is a clear case of discrimination against students from marginalised communities who may not have the means to access government databases, he argued.

The BJP leader’s attack on the DMK government has been further fueled by data showing that Rs 4,124 crore worth of education loans were declared as bad debt in 2023.

“This is a direct result of the government’s failure to fulfil its promise, leaving students with no option but to default on their loans,” Annamalai claimed.

“The DMK government has a habit of making tall promises during election campaigns, only to renege on them later,” Annamalai said, adding that this has led to a situation where students and parents are being deceived time and again, resulting in a massive accumulation of education loans.

Further, he urged the Stalin government to fulfill its promise and cancel the entire education loans of all students in the state.