Amarinder orders release of farmers taken in preventive detention

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 22

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered the release of all farmers taken into preventive detention ahead of the Kisan Unions’ protest starting in Patiala on Friday.

The Chief Minister has also constituted a three-member committee, headed by senior party leader and Mandi Board chairman Lal Singh, to hear their grievances and also apprise them of the steps taken by his government regarding the promised crop loan waiver.

The Chief Minister directed the DGP and district authorities to facilitate the release of the farmers, who were resorting to agitation out of desperation and did not mean to create any law and order problem. Of the total 377 rounded up, 34 have already been released while 308 are in judicial custody and 35 in police custody. An official spokesperson said the process to secure the release of those in custody was being initiated.

While appealing to the farmers to be patient, the Chief Minister said he had inherited a government with empty coffers but despite that, steps to waive the crop loans of farmers had been initiated and a notification, the draft of which was cleared by the cabinet two days ago, would be issued soon. He said he was committed to fulfilling each and every promise made in the party’s election manifesto, which had been adopted as a policy paper for his government.

According to the spokesperson, other members of the Committee, headed by Lal Singh, are legislators Ramanjit Singh Sikki (Khadoor Sahib) and Gurpreet Singh Kangar (Rampura Phul).

The Punjab Cabinet had on Wednesday approved the draft notification for crop loan waiver scheme announced by Amarinder in the state assembly in June.