Fulfil promises made before poll, farmer bodies tell govt : The Tribune India

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Fulfil promises made before poll, farmer bodies tell govt

AMRITSAR/TARN TARAN: Members of seven farmer associations staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today.

Fulfil promises made before poll, farmer bodies tell govt

Farmers hold a protest in front of the DC's office in Amritsar on Wednesday. Photo: Vishal Kumar



Tribune Reporters

Amritsar/tarn taran, December 13

Members of seven farmer associations staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today.

The major demands of the farmer associations include a government job for one member of each family, waiver of non-institutional loans, better prices for crops and reduced prices of agricultural inputs.

The Kirti Kisan Union, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan), Kisan Sangharsh Committee (Pannu) and Azad Kisan Sangharsh Committee were a part of the unions that took part in the protest.

Datar Singh, state general secretary of the Kirti Kisan Union, said, “The government is running away from its promise of loan waiver. It is now shirking its responsibility as it has announced that farmers having land more than one hectare and less than two hectares will not get the benefit of loan waiver if the debt is more than Rs 2 lakh.”

“Prior to the elections, the CM was claiming that all loans, including the loan taken from commission agents, would be paid by the government,” he added.

Datar Singh said if a farmer had to take a loan for a tractor or other equipment, he would not get any benefit as his loan would be clearly more than Rs 2 lakh.

Harjit Singh Jheeta, a farmer leader, said the government should fulfill its promise of a job to one member of each family as it could improve the economic condition of society. He said the government had also not passed a resolution in the Assembly for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report on crop prices.

Farmers up in arms

On a call by seven farmer organisations, farmers stage a protest at the District Administrative Complex (DCA) in Tarn Taran today. Representatives of the farmer organisations submitted a memorandum of demands to the Deputy Commissioner.

Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu, state convener of the Kisan Sangharash Committee, Punjab; Harjinder Singh Tanda, state president of the Azad Kisan Sangharsh Committee; and Parshotam Singh Gehri of the Kirti Kisan Union addressed the farmers and flayed the policies of the Union and state governments.

They said demonetisation and GST had proved to be a jolt to the farming sector.

The farmer leaders said the Union government had failed to provide prices of farm products as per the recommendation of the Dr Swaminathan Commission. They said the Capt Amrinder Singh government had not fulfilled its promise to waive the debt of farmers.

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