₹2, ₹27 and ₹35 waiver for some Muktsar farmers today

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The government is mocking at farmers. Ineligible farmers, close to influential leaders, have names on the waiver list. GYAN SINGH, president, Bharti Kisan Union (Sidhupur)

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These may be old names. We have tried to include names of farmers with loan waiver of ₹2,000 or above. UMESH KUMAR, deputy registrar, Muktsar Cooperative Society

MUKTSAR : In a cruel joke on the district’s farmers, some of them will be handed over debt waiver certificates of as little as ₹2, ₹27 and ₹35 at the debt-waiver function on Wednesday. Jaspal Singh, a farmer of Kotli Ablu village has been offered ₹2. Farmers in Piori village in Gidderbaha sub-division in Muktsar have been given ₹27 and ₹35.

On the waiver list, at serial number 978, farmer Jagtar Singh, of Peori village in Gidderbaha, has been given ₹35 as waiver. At serial number, 1004, farmer Pappa Singh, of Peori village, has been given ₹27 as waiver.

Cooperation minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa will hand over loan-waiver certificates on Wednesday. Over 4,800 farmers are covered with a total waiver amount of ₹28.9 crore. “This is a cruel joke that the government has played on us. The government is only trying to get political mileage from waiver functions. I will not attend the event,” said a Gidderbaha farmer.

Gyan Singh, president, Bharti Kisan Union (Sidhupur), said, “The government is mocking at farmers. Ineligible farmers, who are close to influential leaders, have managed to get their names on the waiver list,” he added.

Speaking to HT over phone, Muktsar Cooperative Society deputy registrar Umesh Kumar said, “On Wednesday, cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa will distribute certificates to farmers. The amount of the waiver is ₹28.87 crore for 4,800 farmers.”

On the meagre amount of loan waiver, Kumar added, “These may be old names. We have tried to include names of farmers with loan waiver amount of at least ₹2,000.”

The venue of the function is Gidderbaha, the constituency of Congress MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. On this, Muktsar EX-MLA Karn Kaur Brar said, “I have no idea that why the venue of the function is Gidderbaha rather than holding it at the district headquarters. I have informed the minister that I cannot attend the function due to personal reasons.”

“I have also requested the minister to hold a function in Muktsar,” she added.

To this, Kumar added, “A function before May 31 will be held in Muktsar.”