Stop glorifying waiver: Farmers

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, August 16

On the Independence Day function at Police Lines here, Cabinet Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot launched the second phase of the debt wavier scheme and handed over certificates to 11 farmers, waiving Rs 19.72 lakhs.

Farmers, however, are appalled at the public display of their disgrace. They are against handing over of Parman Patars (waiver certificates) at public functions. They demanded waiver of loans without disclosing their names.

“At first place, farmers are not getting a complete debt waiver, as promised by the Congress before the Assembly elections. And second, the Punjab Government is insulting indebted farmers by handing them certificates at public functions,” said Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president, BKU (Ugrahan).

The farmers who received the waiver certificates are Sadhu Singh, Manjit Singh, Beant Singh, Navtaj Khan, Jasbir Singh, Darshan Singh, Gurjant Singh, Bala Singh, Shingara Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Shingara Singh (second).

Fearing loss of loan waiver, farmers refused to speak to the media after the function. But their relatives, without disclosing their names, said the state government must avoid glorification of the scheme.

Sangrur Chief Agriculture Officer Baldev Singh said, “The state government has directed the Agriculture Department to hand over wavier certificates to farmers on the stage. We are following the directions.”