(Asks CM not to defame farmers simply because he does not want to do loan waiver of Punjab farmers)
Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to tell why he was unwilling to accept the gratitude of farmers of Punjab by implementing a complete loan waiver as promised. It's been asked that why he had accepted titles from a group of Arhatiyas after failing to persuade them to lower interest rates to help the distressed peasantry in its hour of crisis.
SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra
Stating this, SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra said the peasantry of Punjab had been waiting since three months for a complete farm loan waiver. “The chief minister has cheated farmers by announcing waiver of crop loan only. This loan of Rs 50,000 is taken for a six month period to facilitate plantation of new crops. It has a recovery rate of 90 to 95 per cent. So in effect the Congress government has played a fraud on the small and marginal farmers who take term loans of one year and above and will not get any relief at all. This is unacceptable and we will launch a people’s movement to force the government to honour its promise. The promise was of a complete loan waiver of all loans taken from cooperative and nationalized banks as well as those taken from Arhatiyas. We will create a movement for waiving of all loans of khet mazdoor also”, he added.
Loan waiver Punjab farmers
Mr
Chandumajra said the chief minister also needed to educate himself about the nature of loans taken by farmers instead of making off the cuff remarks that the State would not waive off large farmer loans. “Farmers take loans for tractors and agricultural implements. They also take loans to start dairy or poultry farms. In case they are unable to give regular installments these loans amounts become un-payable over a period of time. It is wrong on your part to defame farmers by stating that all big loans are taken to build houses. This is akin to rubbing salt on the wounds of farmers who were hoping for immediate relief but have now been effectively told that they will not get the promised loan waiver”.
Purpose of befooling farmers
The Akali leader said the time had come for the
Congress party to admit that it had cooked up and piloted a fraud loan waiver exercise with the sole purpose of befooling farmers into voting for the party in the last assembly elections. “There can be no other explanation for the complete volte-face made by Capt Amarinder on this issue”, he said adding even the suffering of farmers and the death of 77 farmers in the last 100 days by suicide had failed to move the chief minister to implement the promised loan waiver. “The Punjabi farmer will never forget or forgive the Congress for this betrayal”, he added.
—PTC News
