DEBTRIDDEN BATHINDA FARMER COMMITS SUICIDE

BATHINDA : A debt ridden farmer, Pritpal Singh, 35, committed suicide by consuming poison in Kotshamir on Wednesday. He owned three acres, was under a debt of Rs 7 lakh and was not a beneficiary of the loan waiver scheme. He owed Rs 1 lakh to the agriculture cooperative society and rest to other banks and arhtiyas (commission agents). “He was owner of three acres and his name was included on the list of 280 farmers having below five acres of land to be provided loan waiver but was yet to be provided relief as no farmer under the society has yet been provided loan waiver. Due to the pending loan, we couldn’t provide him fertiliser,” said Kotshamir agriculture cooperative society secretary Jarnail Singh. Kotfatta SHO inspector Rajinder Pal Singh said he had no communication on any suicide, but they will look into the matter, if the matter was bought to their attention.