Congress demands moratorium on loan recoveries from farmer

The weather was hot and humid. The scene at the Punjab Congress Bhavan was chaotic with unprecedented rush of the party men who had come from all over the state to witness the change over. The notable absentee was former All India Youth Congress president Maninderjit Singh Bitta. The central leaders present included AICC general secretary Meira Kumar who is incharge of Punjab affairs, Rajesh Pilot and Ambika Soni. The scene shifted to Bhattal’s residence after the take over ceremony.

On the issue of suicides by the farmers, Pilot did not agree with the Akali contention holding the Congress policies were responsible for this trend in the countryside.

“The phenomenon of suicides by the farmers in agriculturally advanced states is disheartening”, he said. Pilot, with his pro-farmer image in the Congress, admitted that farming was no more profitable and what was needed was at least a change in the credit policy. He said the Akalis had been projecting themselves as pro-farmer and it was during the Akali Dal government that the suicides were being reported from the state. He identified increasing debt burden as one of the reasons.

He said the credit limit for taking loans from the commercial banks for farm operations should be enhanced and the limit should be clearly mentioned on the Kisan card.

Pilot also lambasted the Akalis for not getting accepted from the centre the demands concerning the state including the transfer of Chandigarh and apportionment of river waters.

“It is Akali Dal – BJP government in Punjab while the BJP is ruling at the centre and in Rajasthan and Haryana”, he said. When pointed out that these contentious issues could not be resolved when Congress was at the helm of affairs in these states and at the centre, he said, “We accept out failure. The Akalis should also concede that they have also failed”.

The main concerns of the new PPCC chief are lack of development, increasing unemployment, increasing salinity in sub-soil water and lack of water for irrigation in at least five districts at the canal ends and the related issues. He also talked of deteriorating law and order situation and the hike in bus fare hike.

He claimed he had the total support of the Congressmen in the state.