E-Paper
Punjab farmers want complete loan waiver
A committee led T Haque, a former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, is working on the waiver plan. The committee invited the farmer unions to share their views on June 15.
In line with the loan waiver of farmers in Madhya Pradesh, farmers in Punjab on Monday adopted a wait and watch policy till the state government writes off their debt.
A committee led T Haque, a former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, is working on the waiver plan. The committee invited the farmer unions to share their views on June 15.
The committee will give its interim report on June 17 before the state budget on June 20.
“We want a complete waiver (of loans),” said Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Balbir Singh Rajewal. “Our course of action will follow the government’s announcement (on debt waiver),” he said.
“We are with the MP farmers because they are in difficulty like us,” Rajewal said. “We don’t let things go out of our control, because we don’t allow other than farmers join our protest, which is not the case in Madhya Pradesh,” he said.
The cash-strapped government under an estimated debt of Rs 2 crore is under pressure to act in the interest of state farmers. “We will do something for them within our means,” a senior state functionary said.
20% FARMERS OWE 75% OF DEBT
Ten lakh farmers of the state owe Rs 90,000 crore as on March 31, 2016.
The uneven debt pattern is a worry for the government. A top official said 5.71 lakh farmers, who own up to 2.5 acres, owe an aggregate debt of Rs 9,845 crore. Of them, 35,000 farmers owe Rs 4,500 crore, which means each owes Rs 13 lakh. “A farmer who owns 2.5 acres can’t return Rs 13 lakh with the farm income,” says the official.
Of the debt of Rs 90,000 crore, 2 lakh farmers (20%) owe 75% of the debt or Rs 63,000 crore.
