At third phase of debt waiver, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh says labourers next
TNN | Updated: Jan 25, 2019, 12:36 IST
The state government wants Centre to chip in to improve the farmers’ lot.PATIALA: Launching the third phase of farm debt waiver scheme in Anandpur Sahib, chief minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday announced that soon the state government would come out with a loan waiver scheme for the landless labourers, who were also reeling under huge debt burdens.
Lashing out at the BJP-led Union government for failing to come to the rescue of the beleaguered farmers, Capt Amarinder on Thursday said that farmer suicides would continue in Punjab and other states if Centre did not give up its apathy towards the farming community and implemented the complete Swaminathan report.
The CM, who was here to launch the third phase of farm debt waiver scheme, said that the states cannot do everything on their own, without the Centre’s help.
Under the third phase benefit will be given to 1.42 lakh farmers with Rs 1,009 crore being utilized to settle their loans from cooperative banks. As many as 2,413 farmers of Ropar district got debt waiver certificates to the tune of Rs 17.74 crore. Captain Amarinder also announced that the fourth phase of the scheme would also be launched soon to benefit 18,000 small farmers who had taken loans from commercial banks.
He acknowledged that the loan waiver scheme announced by his government was not enough to alleviate all the sufferings of the farmers in the state. He said that with loan amounts of many farmers more than what his government was currently waiving off, their plight continued to be acute.
Pointing out that his government had inherited a huge Rs 2.08 lakh crore debt, he said the loan waiver scheme was the best he could have done in the circumstances especially considering the lack of support from the Centre and non-implementation of the Swaminathan report.
“Loan waiver scheme was only a temporary solution to the problems of the distressed farmers and the Centre had to step in if a permanent solution was to be found,” he said, adding that his government would continue to find ways of helping the farmers, including diversification initiatives.
A few days after ruling out any alliance with Aam Aadmi Party, the CM once again lashed out his Delhi counterpart for blaming Punjab for pollution in the national capital, which he attributed to local reasons there. Amarinder, in November last year, too had questioned Kejriwal’s qualification from IIT on this matter. Amarinder also hit out at the Centre for failing to provide compensation to farmers against stubble burning.
Lashing out at the BJP-led Union government for failing to come to the rescue of the beleaguered farmers, Capt Amarinder on Thursday said that farmer suicides would continue in Punjab and other states if Centre did not give up its apathy towards the farming community and implemented the complete Swaminathan report.
The CM, who was here to launch the third phase of farm debt waiver scheme, said that the states cannot do everything on their own, without the Centre’s help.
Under the third phase benefit will be given to 1.42 lakh farmers with Rs 1,009 crore being utilized to settle their loans from cooperative banks. As many as 2,413 farmers of Ropar district got debt waiver certificates to the tune of Rs 17.74 crore. Captain Amarinder also announced that the fourth phase of the scheme would also be launched soon to benefit 18,000 small farmers who had taken loans from commercial banks.
He acknowledged that the loan waiver scheme announced by his government was not enough to alleviate all the sufferings of the farmers in the state. He said that with loan amounts of many farmers more than what his government was currently waiving off, their plight continued to be acute.
Pointing out that his government had inherited a huge Rs 2.08 lakh crore debt, he said the loan waiver scheme was the best he could have done in the circumstances especially considering the lack of support from the Centre and non-implementation of the Swaminathan report.
“Loan waiver scheme was only a temporary solution to the problems of the distressed farmers and the Centre had to step in if a permanent solution was to be found,” he said, adding that his government would continue to find ways of helping the farmers, including diversification initiatives.
A few days after ruling out any alliance with Aam Aadmi Party, the CM once again lashed out his Delhi counterpart for blaming Punjab for pollution in the national capital, which he attributed to local reasons there. Amarinder, in November last year, too had questioned Kejriwal’s qualification from IIT on this matter. Amarinder also hit out at the Centre for failing to provide compensation to farmers against stubble burning.
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