Captain demands farm debt waiver from Union govt ‘to avoid unrest’

CHANDIGARH: Expressing serious concern over the deteriorating condition of farmers, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday once again urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce one-time debt relief to ameliorate the miseries of the farming community.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, the chief minister has sought immediate intervention of the central government to avoid any socio-economic unrest in the rural areas. Despite repeated requests from the state government for a national-level debt waiver scheme for farmers, the response so far has not been encouraging, said the chief minister, seeking a one-time relief to ensure that their livelihood is not compromised in any way. “With continued debt stress, the number of farmers’ suicides is increasing and there is widespread resentment amongst them,” said Amarinder, adding that stressing the need for immediate attention to the issue by the central government.

He has requested that the issue of waiver be considered on priority, to reduce miseries of farmers, thereby making agriculture more resilient and the economy resurgent. Citing contribution of Punjab’s farmers to national food security, the CM said they had raised productivity and production of wheat and rice in a record time during the Green Revolution, saving the country from hunger and deprivation.