Cong loan-waiver face gets ₹3.8L from SAD

: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday paid ₹3.8 lakh to Budh Singh, a farmer from Kotli Saurat Malhi village in Batala district whose name didn’t figure in the government’s beneficiary list even as he was the ‘poster boy’ of Congress’s loan-waiver scheme.

Budh Singh had availed a crop loan of ₹3.5 lakh, which, with interest, has accumulated to ₹3.8 lakh. Former minister Bikram Singh Majithia visited the farmer’s home and handed him over a cheque for the said amount on behalf of the Youth Akali Dal (YAD).He said the YAD will create a fund to help farmers.

Showing a video, Majithia said then state Congress chief Capt Amarinder, along with Dera Baba Nanak legislator Sukhi Randhawa, had visited Budh Singh’s house on October 6, 2016.

“Capt Amarinder filled the ‘karja kurki khatam, fasal di puri rakam’ form for Budh Singh and even handed over the receipt to him. Budh Singh was also assured that his loan will be the first to be waived off under the scheme. However, that didn’t happen,” he said.

Majithia said the YAD will now go to farmers across the country to tell them that Rahul Gandhi’s phoney crop loan waiver scheme was a ploy to cheat farmers. He said Budh Singh will be part of this campaign and campaign will continue till the Congress government implemented a complete loan waiver.

Budh Singh urged farmers to fight the injustice meted out to them. “Like many other farmers, I was lured by the Congress and voted for the party in the assembly elections,” he said. “I had to sell my tractor for ₹80,000 to forestall the ‘kurki’ proceedings. I am thankful to the YAD for coming to my rescue.”A month back, city based surgeon Dr Satnam Singh Nijjar handed over a cheque for ₹2 lakh to Budh Singh.

EVEN AS THEN STATE CONG CHIEF CAPT AMARINDER FILLED BUDH SINGH’S FORM ON OCTOBER 6, 2016, HIS NAME DIDN’T FIGURE AMONG BENEFICIARIES