Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday exhorted the arhtiyas (commission agents) to check charging of exorbitant interest rates on loans to farmers. At the same time, he urged them to bail out the distressed farmers facing severe financial crisis as a result of huge debt burdens.
Capt Amarinder, during a meeting of arhtiyas under the umbrella of Federation of Arhtiyas Association of Punjab, also directed the State’s commission agents to ensure adequate transport arrangements for smooth lifting of paddy during the current Kharif season in view of the abolition of the truck unions.
He made it clear that the farmers’ interests would be protected at all costs. “It is our bounden duty to safeguard the interests of the farming community, and the state government has already taken a lead by announcing a debt waiver of Rs 1,500 crore in the first phase,” he said.
Capt Amarinder asked the delegation members to identify those unscrupulous elements in the arhtiya community who were fleecing the farmers by charging higher rate of interest than their mutually agreed 1.5 percent per month (18 percent per annum). “Such elements must be thrown out of the community as a deterrent against such activity in the future,” he said.
Punjab Mandi Board chairman lal Singh urged the arhtiyas to issue passbooks to the farmers who were taking loans to help them remain updated about their outstanding dues and prevent their exploitation.
On the issue of rationalisation of interest rates charged by the arhtiyas, the Chief Minister asked them to represent their case before the three-member Cabinet sub-committee, comprising Ministers Navjot Singh Sidhu, Manpreet Singh Badal and Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa.
The committee has been tasked with examining the provisions of Punjab Agriculture Indebtedness Act, 2016, for making it more effective and ensuring level playing field to all the stake holders, including farmers, arhtiyas and commercial banks.
Capt Amarinder, on the issue of direct payment to farmers through cheques, said that the farmers were free to decide whether they wanted to take payment directly or through arhtiyas, with whom they shared age-old ties.
Allaying fears of possible disruption of the procurement process by some of the former truck unions, he said that all steps would be taken to make fool-proof arrangements at the mandis, while also asking the arhtiyas to make alternate arrangements for hassle-free lifting of paddy.