Attend debt waiver events: Randhawa to Kejri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 21

Senior Congress leader and Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has extended invitation to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the debt waiver function scheduled for January 23 in Bathinda and January 24 at Anandpur Sahib, so as to make the AAP supremo see for himself the debt waiver scheme of the state government.

The minister also congratulated the AAP supremo with regard to the declaration by his MP Bhagwant Mann for pledging to shun alcohol. Randhawa said with the Lok Sabha elections around the corner, Kejriwal had suddenly developed love for Punjab.

He added that Kejriwal should first make his stand clear on the river water issue. Randhawa said Capt Amarinder Singh during his previous tenure had made a historic decision to annul all agreements regarding the river waters. Now, the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Government had unveiled the debt waiver scheme for the farmers of the state in order to extricate them out of the present agricultural crisis.

He added that the state government has till date waived loan worth Rs 3,452 crore of 4.17 lakh small farmers. Besides, 1.42 lakh more small farmers have been identified whose loan worth Rs 1,000 crore is to be waived.

“If Kejriwal is groping in the dark about the facts and figures of the debt waiver scheme, then I am inviting him to attend the debt waiver functions and be acquainted with the scheme, besides making a contribution towards it,” he said.

Randhawa added that with the Lok Sabha polls coming, Mann developed thoughts of kicking the habit of alcohol and in a lighter vein said such a big sacrifice could only be made by Mann.

The Congress leader, taking a dig at Mann, said if Mann wants to shun alcohol then the AAP MP could avail the services of OOAT clinics and the state government would take good care of him.