Don’t insult farm loan defaulters, banks urged

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, March 29

Farmers under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), handed over a memorandum to the district manager of the PNB lead bank cell demanding that photos with loan details of farmers, who had defaulted on repayment, should not be pasted on banks premises.

“Banks are pasting photos and loan details of farmers, who have defaulted on repayment of loans, on their premises. Farmers are being insulted by this act. If the bank authorities did not remove farmers’ photos and their loan details, the BKU will soon start an agitation to remove these,” said Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, a senior BKU leader.

He said the government was waiving loans of businessmen every year. On the other hand, banks were pasting the photos of farmers defaulting on loan repayment, who in such a condition were forced to commit suicide.

The BKU leader said the government should immediately implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission to improve farmers’ financial condition. “Until these recommendations were implemented, the farmers shall not pay back their loans,” said Chadhuni.

BKU leaders, including state president Karam Singh Mathana, district president Sanju Gundiyana, Babu Ram Gundiyana and Harpal Singh Sudhal, besides Chadhuni also handed over a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner demanding increase in the collector rates of agricultural lands in Yamunanagar district.