Debt waiver: Jakhar asks Centre to do its bit
The Centre should act now. No one stops the Prime Minister or his government from announcing relief for farmers. They cannot shirk their responsibility by terming agriculture as a state subject. SUNIL JAKHAR , Punjab Congress president
A day after Union finance minister Arun Jaitley ruled out any central funding for farm loan waiver, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar urged the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government to step in to do its bit for debt-ridden farmers in the country.
“The Centre should act now. No one stops the Prime Minister or his government from announcing relief for farmers. They cannot shirk their responsibility by terming agriculture as a state subject,” Jakhar told reporters at a press conference after holding a meeting with farmers from across Punjab. Jaitley had on Tuesday ruled out any farm debt waiver, saying that the government had fiscal deficit target to meet.
Calling debt waiver a “monumental decision”, Jakhar, who met the district farmers two days after chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh made the announcement, hit out at Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal for spreading lies to mislead the state farmers on farm debt write-off. “Badal is nitpicking on loan waiver. When Sukhbir was in power, he did not bother about them but is trying to mislead them. He is behaving in a frivolous manner. It doesn’t behove someone who remained deputy CM for 10 years,” he said, challenging the SAD chief to one-onone debate.
Referring to similar announcements made by the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, the Punjab Congress president said that both states had only made declarations, but did nothing concrete thereafter. “They tried to put the cart before the horse whereas Capt Amarinder set up an expert committee and took an informed decision. The Punjab government decided on loan write-off on the basis of facts presented in reported prepared by experts. The debt will be taken over by the government,” he said.
Jakhar said that BJP leader Vijay Sampla also met the state governor recently on this issue, but with what face. “What has the central government done in the past three years? They have taken no action on recommendations made in Swaminathan report” he asked.