AAP terms Punjab budget as anti-farmer

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 16

Aam Aadmi Party slammed the Punjab budget as anti-farmer and directionless. In a statement issued by the AAP Kisan and Labour Wing president Capt GS Kang and general secretary Ahbaab Singh Grewal, stated that this budget has again dashed the hopes of thousands of farmers in the state and will prove to be another nail in their coffin.

Capt Kang said the loans of small and marginal farmers have not been waived off and this could lead to more farmer suicides in the coming days as the small and marginal farmer is ridden by high debt and unable to make any payments.

Grewal said the Punjab government has made no provisions for crop insurance leaving the farmers at the vagaries of nature. This cruelty has already seen a rise in the number of farmer suicides this year as the small and marginal farmer is unable to cope with the havoc wrought by Mother Nature and is forced to take the extreme step.

He further said Badal has been speaking about diversification of crops but has made no fiscal provisions for the Budget presented yesterday. This shows that this is mere lip service and SAD-BJP is not at all considering diversification as a serious enough issue to overcome the crisis facing the agrarian community in the State.