Punjab Congress on Sunday urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to take up issue of Punjabi farmers being denied visas by the Georgian Government with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on priority—something that Badal has already decided to do.
In his Sangat Darshan in Bathinda’s lehri village, Badal, though maintained that such international issues were responsibility of the Union Government, asserted that he would urge the Centre to intervene in the issue.
“Such international issues are responsibility of the Union Government, but I would urge the Centre to intervene in the issue so that the interests of Punjabi farmers, who have made agriculture investments in Georgia, are safeguarded,” said Badal.
On the other hand, the Congress has asked the Chief Minister to lead a delegation to Georgia, to ensure the resolution of farmers’ deadlock with their Government.
Going into background of the matter, hundreds of farmers from Punjab have fallen trap to the advertisements issued by the Georgian Government promising agricultural lands at cheap rates. The farmers invested their lifetime savings or sold their precious lands in Punjab to purchase vast tracts of agricultural land in Georgia.
The said investment, running into crores, has been going on for the last approximately more than three years. All of a sudden, the Georgian Government without assigning any legitimate reason has begun to deny visa to these farmers, as a result there is deep frustration, resentment and anguish amongst them.
These farmers are now running from pillar to post, to either recover their investments or to become legitimate owners of agricultural lands in Georgia.
Such large scale exodus by farmers of Punjab to unknown countries also brings to fore the critical position of the state’s agrarian economy, alleged the Congress.
“Needless to mention, the farmers of Punjab are facing a colossal debt of Rs 75,000 crore, half of which is institutional or banking loans, while the other half is due to commission agents often charging very high rates of interest, land holdings have shrunk, rendering the small and marginal farms non-profitable. There has been spate of suicides in the State, owing to their inability to repay their debt. Alarming growth of drug menace in the State is also directly connected to the failure of agrarian economy,” said Congress leader Sukhpal Khaira.
“In case, Badal fails to take immediate concrete measures, it would be presumed that the SAD is only interested in exploiting their sentiments for cheap political gains and leaves them in lurch during their need of hour,” he said.