Chaulle Bajaad (Jalandhar)(Wishav Warta): A committee of Punjab Vidhan Sabha on farmers’ debt and suicide in the state would submit its report before the state assembly ahead of the ensuing session of the state assembly.
Divulging the details, Chairman of the committee and MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sukhsarkaria said that realizing the importance of this grave issue the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had announced to form this committee at the floor of the house. Subsequently, he said that the Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Rana KP Singh had formed this committee comprising Legislators from all the political parties of the state to study the serious issue of farmers suicides in the state. The MLA said that the Committee had extensively toured the state to meet the kin of the farmers, who had committed suicide, for having an in depth understanding of the issue. Sukhsarkaria said that the Committee would submit a detailed report regarding the cause of this problem and its remedy before the house ahead of coming session of Vidhan sabha next month.
The MLA said that it was serious issue concerning the state as the food growers of the nation were confronting a major crisis. He said that for this the entire house would deliberate upon this issue and find a viable solution for it. Sukhsarkaria said that the entire house and particularly the state government led by Punjabi Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh was committed to bail out the farmers from this crisis.
The Committee headed by Congress MLA Sukhjinder Singh Sukhsarkaria with MLAs Kuljit Singh Nagra, Harinder Singh Chandumajra and Nathu Ram visited the village Chaulle Bajaad to meet the family members of farmer Jatinder Singh, who had committed suicide in December last year. The Committee members had detailed deliberations with the kin of deceased farmer. The Committee members were unanimously of the view that rising input costs coupled with squeezing margins of profit was a reason of worry for the farmers.
The Committee during interaction with the farmers advised them to curtail their expenses by taking the Agriculture equipments from the cooperative societies on Custom Hiring Basis. They also asked the officers of Cooperation department to offer a robust mechanism to the farmers by upgrading the Cooperative societies and Agro Centres run by it.