Jakhar slams MP govt for police firing on farmers

CHANDIGARH: Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Madhya Pradesh for firing at protesting farmers, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday said the farm loan waiver scheme of the Congress government in Punjab will be a trendsetter.

Jakhar said the Capt Amarinder Singh government is working on agriculture debt write-off to be announced in budget session of the state assembly. “Despite financial constraints and plundering of state resources by Akalis in the past 10 years, the loan waiver will be a model to be replicated in other states,” he told reporters.

The Punjab Congress had, in its manifesto, promised waiver of agriculture debt of farmers, besides working for revival of their economy through a slew of measures.

An expert group, set up by the state government under T Haque, former chairman of Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices, is currently assessing the quantum of agriculture debt of farmers and resources available for its waiver. The committee is expected to give its report next week.

On the death of five farmers in MP, the Punjab Congress chief said the incident had shown the real face of the BJP. “When the BJP wanted votes, it waived off loans of farmers in Uttar Pradesh. But its government in MP responded with bullets to protesting farmers’ genuine demands for better prices for their produce and debt waiver. They are using farm loans to garner votes, whereas the Congress government, headed by Dr Manmohan Singh, had announced debt write-off for farmers across the country,” he said.

The All India Kisan Federation and Marxist Communist Party of India (United) have also condemned the police firing and “callous and repressive” attitude of the MP government.

STATE CONGRESS CHIEF SAYS PUNJAB’S DEBT WAIVER TO BE A TRENDSETTER