Punjab government has sought special package from Centre to bail farmers out of debt trap: AAP

Chandigarh, July 16

The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday said the Punjab government has sought a special financial package from the Centre to bail farmers out of the debt trap, promote crop diversification and also curb stubble burning.

AAP chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said state Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal raised the demand of the special package with Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

Dhaliwal met Tomar at the national conference of agriculture and horticulture ministers of the states in Bengaluru, he said.

The package should address the financial woes of the farmers, encourage crop diversification and also curb stubble burning in the state, said Kang.

The AAP leader also said Dhaliwal, during the meeting, demanded Rs 15,000 per acre per year compensation for farmers of the border area to reduce their hardships.

He said the border area farmers can tend to their crops only between 10 am and 4 pm.

Punjab is an agrarian state and its economy depends on the agriculture sector, said Kang.

He said Punjab has been feeding the nation and now it is the duty of the Union government to extend financial help to bail the state farmers out of the debt trap.