Farmers want complete loan waiver for agri sector

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 10

Activists of different farmers’ associations staged a protest against the government under the banner of the Kul Hind Kisan Sangarsh Talmel Dal and submitted memorandums to MLAs and MPs.

They also took out a motorcycle rally in the city to highlight their issues. The farmers were protesting against the three ordinances issued recently by the Union Government and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020, rising prices of diesel and other issues.

The farmers’ organisations also demanded a complete loan waiver for the agriculture sector reasoning as they were suffering most due to non-institutional loans.

Farmers’ leader Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala, president, Jamhoori Kisan Sabha Punjab, said, “The Punjab Vidhan Sabha must pass a resolution in the Assembly opposing the three ordinances and other new laws which would adversely affect the agriculture sector.”

He said Punjab being a predominantly agriculture state, its MLAs and MPs despite their political affiliations and party stands must oppose the new ordinances as these would destroy the rural economy which would directly have an impact on the state’s financial condition.

The farmer leaders lamented that MLAs and MPs of the ruling party and Opposition were not taking seriously the issues of the farming community as instead of interacting with their delegations and accepting their memorandums, they had deputed their assistants for the job.

“The elected representatives should run away from the general public and instead should take up their demands with those concerned,” said a farmer leader, adding that they were out to protest in the hot weather but political leaders were not even ready to talk to them. The farmers’ organisations also threatened to show black flags to elected representatives on their visits to rural areas and gherao their houses if they failed to stand with them.