Cash-starved farmers sell gold, livestock
Tribune News Service

HARKRISHANPURA (Bathinda), Nov 25 — Repeated failure of crops for the past four years has been forcing the farmers of Nandgarh Kotra, Gehribarasingha and this village to sell their livestock and jewellery for raising cash to run their households.

These farmers, living in poverty for the past many years, are also mortgaging their land to raise cash needed for their daily requirements.

Situated at the tail-end of Joga-Mandikalan minor, the per acre yield of cotton and other crops in the area has been decreasing every year, making cultivation a losing proposition for the farmers. Besides, there is also a shortage of irrigation water needed for sowing wheat.

The farmers of these villages, faced with huge debts, have pinned their hopes on the Punjab Government. They have also been making repeated pleas to their elected representatives for ensuring adequate supply of irrigation water.

In an application given to the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, these villagers have appealed for sanctioning of power connection for their tubewells on a priority. They have also offered about 200 acres of village land to the state government for setting up factories to generate employment for them. They have also demanded that the government waive the loans of all farmers having holdings between five to 10 acres.

Gurbax Singh, owner of six acres, who has sold four tolas of gold to raise the cash, told TNS that he had been finding it difficult to arrange fodder for the livestock and even 'gur' for making tea in his home. He said that he had stopped sending his girls to school and was planning to take out his son from school also as he was not able to afford their schooling.

Jarnail Singh of Nandgarh Kotra village said owing to repeated failure of his crops for the past five years, he had to sold two tolas of gold and two buffaloes to make both ends meet. He said he had only five acres land, which was producing little to meet his day-to-day needs.

Gurjant Singh, a former sarpanch and husband of the present sarpanch of this village, said almost all farmers of his village were in deep debt and without any means to discharge their liabilities.

Gurcharan Singh, another farmer, alleged that successive governments were giving them step-motherly treatment. He pointed out that about 20 farmers of this village had applied to the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) for power connections to install tubewell motors eight years ago. However, they had not got the power connections so far.

Bhura Singh, brother of a former sarpanch of this village, said commission agents had also stopped giving them anything on credit as the farmers had failed to clear their pending debts.