Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday asked Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to fulfill his poll promise and
immediately waive off the loans of farmers as done by his Uttar Pradesh counterpart.
AAP’s senior leader and Bholath MlA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said that the Congress had in its election manifesto made many promises to different sections of the society, but the most important and urgently required promise was that of farm loan waiver. “It appears Capt Amarinder is deviating from this vital promise and trying to pass the buck on to the central BJP government,” he said.
Khaira said that instead of taking the responsibility to waive off farmers’ loan himself, he recently led a delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this matter which is nothing but trying to skirt the issue and run away from his election promise.
“Now that the UP BJP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has shown the way and waived off farmers loan to the tune of Rs 36,500 crore, Capt Amarinder must follow him and take the loan waiver decision in next cabinet meeting,” he said.
“The least that Capt Amarinder can do immediately is to write off loans of small and marginal farmers pending with the cooperative banks and cooperative societies of Punjab,” he said, adding that this is a decision that he can independently take in Punjab and does not have to approach any nationalized bank or any other authority.
He pointed that small and marginal farmers of Punjab are under a total debt of Rs 1,03,000 crore, which includes institutional banking loans as well as loans advanced by commission agents of the state.
“I appeal to Capt Amarinder that it is the need of the hour to waive off loans of atleast small and marginal farmers and the beginning can be made by waiving off the debt advanced by the cooperative banks and cooperative societies of Punjab. I am sure the Congress will honor its pre-election promise and give relief to the affected farmers and poor labourers,” he said.