No funds, Amarinder urges arhtiyas to bail out farmers
CM DIRECTS AGENTS TO ENSURE ADEQUATE TRANSPORT FOR OF PADDY IN VIEW OF THE ABOLITION OF STATE’S TRUCK UNIONS
CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday met arhtiyas (commission agents) and urged them to bail out farmers facing financial crisis as a result of debt, and avoid charging exorbitant interest rates on loans.
He also directed them to ensure adequate transport arrangements for smooth lifting of paddy during the current kharif season in view of the abolition of the truck unions.
Addressing a meeting of the Federation of the Arhtiyas Association of Punjab, the CM made it clear that the interests of farmers would be protected at all costs.
“Unscrupulous elements who fleece farmers by charging higher rate of interest than their mutually agreed-upon 1.5% a month must be thrown out of the community,” he said.
Though the party manifesto and Amarinder had promised that the Congress will also give relief to farmers from loans extended by arhtiyas, the government had so far announced just waiver of crop loans to 10.25 lakh farmers and made an allocation of ₹1,500 crore in the budget.
Mandi Board chairman Lal Singh urged the arhtiyas to issue passbooks to farmers who were taking loans to help them remain updated about their outstanding dues and prevent their exploitation.
A three-member cabinet subcommittee, comprising ministers Navjot Singh Sidhu, Manpreet Singh Badal and Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa has been tasked with examining the provisions of Punjab Agriculture Indebtedness Act, 2016, for making it more effective and ensuring level playing field to all the stakeholders, including farmers, arhtiyas and banks.
The issue of direct payment to farmers through cheques also came up, and Amarinder said farmers were free to decide whether they wanted to take payment directly or through arhtiyas with whom they share ageold ties. The federation was represented by its president emeritus Bal Krishan Singla, president Vijay Kalra and general secretary Swarn Singh.