Supreme Court of India · 2021-11-23
THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU FOOD, CIVIL SUPPLIES AND CONSUMER PROTECTION DEPARTMENT SECRETARY vs NATIONAL SOUTH INDIAN RIVER INTERLINKING AGRICULTURIST ASSOCIATION
- Citation / case number
- SC 2017/16734
- Court
- Supreme Court of India
- Petitioner
- THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU FOOD, CIVIL SUPPLIES AND CONSUMER PROTECTION DEPARTMENT SECRETARY
- Respondent
- NATIONAL SOUTH INDIAN RIVER INTERLINKING AGRICULTURIST ASSOCIATION
- Author
- HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE
- Bench
- HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIKRAM NATH HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE
Judgment text excerpt
The Supreme Court upheld the Madras High Court's decision to quash the Tamil Nadu government's loan waiver scheme for small and marginal farmers, deeming it arbitrary and discriminatory. The court emphasized that the scheme's limitation to certain categories of farmers violated the principle of equality under Article 14 of the Constitution. Consequently, the court directed the state to extend the loan waiver benefits to all farmers, regardless of landholding size.