Jalandhar(Nakodar): Lashing out at the Akalis for trying to mislead the citizens of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday promised total implementation of his party’s election promise on farm debt waiver while categorically ruling out any move to withdraw free power for agriculture.
Captain Amarinder Singh was addressing the farming community at a programme to issue debt waiver certificates amounting to Rs. 162.16 crore to 29,192 farmers at the Dana Mandi here, in the second stage of waiver of loans for the state’s 10.25 lakh small and marginal farmers. Eligible farmers from the five districts of Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Fazilka and Ferozepur got their loan waiver certificates today.
Describing the distribution of the certificate as part of the fulfilment of the election promise made to the farmers by the Congress, Captain Amarinder Singh assured the farmers that the slight delay in the matter was the result not of funds paucity but the fact that the procedure for identification and verification of the eligible farmers, along with their loan amount, was taking some time. However, he made it clear that he was totally committed to implementing the promise of debt waiver, which he had made ahead of the Assembly elections after hearing of farmer suicides in every place he visited.
The number of suicides had come down since the Congress took over, said the Chief Minister, adding there had been marked improvement in the situation, of which his government will give details in the forthcoming budget session of the Vidhan Sabha.
Captain Amarinder Singh warned the Akalis and the BJP that his government would not allow them to destroy Punjab any further. He came out with a categorical assurance that the debt waiver promise would be implemented in toto, with loans from other banks to be addressed after the completion of the current phase which covers cooperative bank loans of the small and marginal farmers.
In the third stage, another 50,000 farmers will get their debt waiver certificates in the Majha area, said the Chief Minister, making it clear that the process was unstoppable.
Speaking earlier, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa lauded Captain Amarinder’s pro-farmer initiatives, comparing him with Sir Chhotu Ram, a champion of the interests of the farmers who did a lot of work for the peasantry.
Describing Captain Amarinder Singh as the “second Chhotu Ram”, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal lauded him for ensuring smooth procurement and initiating the process of implementation of all the election promises, which was not an easy task, given the fiscal situation in the state. The Akalis did nothing for Punjab in 10 years and are now pointing fingers at the Congress government, he added.
