BJP says despite loan waiver announcement by the Cong govt, farmer suicides continue unabated
Days after the Punjab government issued a notification for farm debt waiver, the BJP in Punjab highlighted that as many as 200 farmers had killed themselves in the state ever since the Captain Amarinder-led government came to power.
Lashing out at the state government, Punjab BJP secretary Vineet Joshi said, "The spate in farmer suicides continue in the state. More than 200 farmers have committed suicide since April despite the promise of loan waiver. Instead of fulfilling its promise, the government has only been making promises ever since it formed government."
After the nod to the farm loan waiver in its first Cabinet meeting in April, Punjab government had announced to waive off loans of up to Rs 2 lakh for 8.5 lakh small and marginal farmers during the budget session in June. However, the formal notification was yet to be issued, even as the spate of farmer suicides continued.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had said that over 70 farmers had committed suicide till June.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal also lambasted the Congress government for deepening the farm crisis in the state. "It is not a complete loan-waiver and only a section of farmers will benefit from the scheme.
The refusal of the Congress to implement a complete waiver will only deepen the crisis," said Badal in the core committee meeting of the SAD, held under former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
As per the notification issued by Punjab government on October 19, around 10.22 lakh farmers would avail benefits of loan waiver from a total fund of Rs 9,500 crore out of the scheme. According to the notification, it will only be the loan owed by farmers to co-operative, public and private sector banks till March this year.
Death toll
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had said that more than 70 farmers committed suicide till June.
Shiromani Akali Dal also lambasted the Cong government for deepening the crisis.
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