Form debt settlement forum for farmers, MP Gandhi urges govt

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 22

“Despite the Punjab government’s assurance to waive loans of farmers, the spate of farmer suicides continues unabated. The government needs to immediately form a debt settlement board or forum at district-level for listening to financial woes of farmers.” This was stated by MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi in a press statement issued here.

Though the district debt settlement boards were to be formed after the enactment of the Punjab Relief Indebtedness Act 1934 and the Punjab Settlement of Agricultural Indebtedness Act 2016,  till date nothing has been done so far in this regard. A public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Colonel Jasjit Singh Gill, a social activist, in the Punjab Haryana High Court is pending, which has pleaded for stay on all debt/loan recovery by all financial institutions, including arhtiyas, till these debt settlement forums are in place.

“The government so far has dillydallied in enactment of these debt settlement boards because in the Act it made provision for appointment of a law officer which is yet to be recruited. But there is a need to amend this Act and instead of a qualified law officer as member, there is need of an advocate who is well-versed with rural civil suits having over 15 years of practice. With this delayed response of the present government, the poor, aggrieved and thousands of helpless farmers are being denied much needed relief,” he said.

While for rich businessmen, who have taken crores in loans and have become NPA, there is a Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) and debt recovery tribunals, but for poor Anndatta, the harbinger of green revolution, there is no such redressal forum in place.

There are civil courts with police patronage to execute kurki of the land and assets of poor farmers. The arhtyas in view of impending debt loan waivers are putting in extra pressure on the farmers to recover loans, which are resulting in spate of farmer suicides.

He urged the government to step in immediately by forming a grievances redressal forum for farmers under the Deputy Commissioner with members from Kisan organisations, NGOs, advocates, arhtiyas representatives, banks, police, eminent citizens, psychological and sociological experts.

PIL filed

A public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Colonel Jasjit Singh Gill, a social activist, in the Punjab Haryana High Court is pending, which has pleaded for stay on all debt/loan recovery by all financial institutions, including arhtiyas, till these debt settlement forums are in place.