Dynamite News
Punjab: Farmers protest over farm loan waiver issue on NH-1
Farmers in Ludhiana staged a protest on the issue of farm loan waiver and implementation of Swaminathan Report on National Highway.
Ludhiana: Farmers in Ludhiana staged a protest on the issue of farm loan waiver and implementation of Swaminathan Report on National Highway (NH-1) on Wednesday.
On June 19, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had announced a total waiver of entire crop loans up to Rs. 2 lakh for small and marginal farmers up to five acres, and a flat Rs. 2 lakh relief for all other marginal farmers, irrespective of their loan amount.
Making the announcements during his speech in the Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister said the move would benefit a total of 10.25 lakh farmers, including 8.75 lakh farmers up to 5 acres. The initiative would provide double the relief announced by the states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, he pointed out.
Making it clear that his government stood by its commitment to waive off the crop loans of the farmers, Captain Amarinder said his government had also additionally decided to take over the outstanding crop loan from institutional sources of all the families of farmers who committed suicides in the state.
The state government has also decided to raise the ex-gratia for suicide affected families to Rs. 5 lakh from Rs.3 lakh.
The chief minister proposed that the Speaker may constitute a 5-Member Committee of Vidhan Sabha to visit the families of the suicide victims, ascertain the reasons for suicides and suggest further steps to be taken to check this menace forever.
Captain Amarinder informed the House that his government had already decided to repeal Section 67 A of the Punjab Cooperative Societies Act, 1961, which provides for auction/ kurki of farmers' land.