Debt waiver for farmers is all set to be the key issue of confrontation between the ruling Congress government and the Shiromani Akali Dal in the budget session of the Punjab Assembly beginning on Tuesday.
The SAD has announced that it will “gherao” the State Assembly on March 20 to protest against the alleged "betrayal" of farmers by the Congress government, which they say has taken a U-turn on the “complete farm loan waiver” — a key 2017 Assembly election promise.
‘Theatrics’, says CM
Reacting to the announcement, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh termed it as “theatrics” and dared the Akalis, led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, to “gherao” Parliament instead so as to pressurise the Central government into waiving off farmers’ debts.
“Akalis are now shedding crocodile tears for the farmers after failing to do anything for them during the 10 years of SAD-BJP rule. Not only had the Akalis failed to extend even an iota of support to Punjab’s distressed farmers during their regime, they also could not persuade the BJP-led Central government in the past four years to come out with a debt waiver scheme for the farmers," said Capt. Singh, adding, “If Sukhbir Badal was really concerned about the plight of the farmers, he would have taken up the issue with the Centre and managed to secure some relief for the aggrieved community.”
‘State of despair’
Meanwhile, Mr. Badal reviewed arrangements for the party’s rally in Chandigarh ahead of proposed “gherao” of the Assembly. “Party workers were determined to reach the State Assembly to make the Congress government hear the voice of the farmers, who are in a state of despair and frustration at the government’s turnaround on the loan waiver promise,” he said.
Waiver certificates
Capt. Singh, however, pointed out that around 82,000 farmers had already been issued debt waiver certificates by his government, with a clear road map for settling the loans of all the 1.25 million small and marginal farmers covered under the debt waiver scheme by November 2018.
The principal opposition Aam Aadmi Party's MLAs also had a meeting to discuss the floor strategy for the budget session. As many as 15 of the 20 AAP MLAs attended the meeting.
“The party has decided to forcefully take up the issues of farmer and farm labourers' suicides, betrayal of the youth on the promise of giving jobs besides the failure of the government to curb drugs and illegal mining,” Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Sukhpal Khaira said here.
