Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 18

Members of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today sought the waiving off of the entire debt of farmers and farm labourers in the state before the election code of conduct comes into place. Taking potshots at the state Congress government, AAP leaders said the state government had always misled farmers and continues to do so. In a press conference addressed by the Punjab Mahila Wing President Rajwinder Kaur, District Lok Sabha in-charge, Ramneek Randhawa and District President and Halka in-charge Jalandhar Cantt Surinder Singh Sodhi; AAP leaders sought answers from the state CM whether he would waive all farm debts of farmers in the state ahead of the election code of conduct or not.

Sodhi said the Congress, on January 19, 2017, had committed to provide complete debt waiver to farmer and labourers, which included government, cooperative and private banks as well as debts associated with the unorganised sector. He said the entire sum of this debt amounted to nearly Rs 1.5 lakh crore. He also added many forms had been filled with this promise but unfortunately the Congress showed its true face to people the moment the governemnt was formed.

Rajwinder Kaur, while targeting CM Charanjit Singh Channi, said the CM was again trying to mislead farmers and labourers. Our question is to the CM is whether he will waive the entire debt. If he will, then he should declare a time limit for the same and waive the debt before election code of conduct comes into place. If you can’t fuflill the promise, then all the other assurances have no meaning, she said. She said debts and finacial crisis are the key reasons for farmers’ distress. They are the prime reasons for farmers’ suicides and entire farming community was reeling under gloom due to same reasons.