At Barnala rally, farmers threaten to hold dharna in front of CM house

PEASANT LEADERS ACCUSE AMARINDER GOVERNMENT OF BACKTRACKING ON ITS DEBT WAIVER PROMISE

BARNALA :Seven farmer organisations of the state on Tuesday threatened to stage a five-day sit-in outside chief minister Amarinder Singh’s Patiala residence to press for their demands, including debt waiver.

Announcing this during the Karza Mukti Maharally at the grain market here, farm leaders accused the Captain Amarinder Singh government of backtracking on its debt waiver promise.

The activists of BKU (Ugra- han), BKU (Dakonda), Kirti Kisan Union, Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Krantikari Kisan Union, BKU (Krantikari) and Kisan Sangharsh Committee (Azaad) took part in the rally.

“We have decided to organise a five-day dharna in front of the CM’s house in Patiala from Sep- tember 22 as the state government had failed to meet our demand of complete debt waiver,” said BKU (Ugrahan) chief Joginder Singh. “There is no clarity on terms of the waiver and also no notification has been issued regarding it,” Kisan Sangarsh Committee president Harjinder Singh said.

Ugrahan said: “The corporate defaulters are enjoying all sorts of immunity whereas the poor farmers are in debt and death trap.”

BKU (Dakonda) president Boota Singh Burjgill said, “Banks and commission agents should be directed to return the promissory notes, blank cheques which they got by taking advantage of poor farmers. There should be complete ban on arrests, auctions, police interference for forcible loan recoveries.”

Farmers’ demands include complete debt waiver, implementation of the Swaminathan commission’s report, stopping auction of farmers’ land, government jobs and Rs 10 lakh compensation for the family member of farmers who commits suicide.