NAKODAR (Jalandhar), Mar 14:
Lashing out at the Akalis for trying to mislead the citizens of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday promised total implementation of his party’s election promise on farm debt waiver while categorically ruling out any move to withdraw free power for agriculture.
Capt Amarinder Singh was addressing the farming community at a programme to issue debt waiver certificates amounting to Rs 162.16 crore to 29,192 farmers at the Dana Mandi here, in the second stage of waiver of loans for the state’s 10.25 lakh small and marginal farmers.
Eligible farmers from Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Fazilka and Ferozepur districts got their loan waiver certificates today. Describing the distribution of the certificate as part of the fulfilment of the election promise made to the farmers by the Congress, the Chief Minister assured the farmers that the slight delay in the matter was the result not of funds paucity but the fact that the procedure for identification and verification of the eligible farmers, along with their loan amount, was taking some time.
However, he made it clear that he was totally committed to implementing the promise of debt waiver, which he had made ahead of the assembly elections after hearing of farmer suicides in every place he visited.
The number of suicides had come down since the Congress took over, said the Chief Minister, adding there had been marked improvement in the situation, of which his Government will give details in the forthcoming budget session of the Vidhan Sabha.
Assailing the Akalis for spreading brazen lies and indulging in blatantly false propaganda against his government on the issue of tubewell meters, Capt Amarinder ruled out any proposal to withdraw free power for farmers.
His Government had only provided meters to 900 of the 13.5 lakh tubewells in the state as part of a research project aimed at saving ground water while ensuring that the farmers also get an incentive in the form of cash savings for their personal use.
He explained this by pointing out that if a farmer is given Rs 10,000 against his tubewell power consumption and ends up spending Rs 7000 then not only will the remaining Rs 3000 go into his pocket but he will also contribute to saving the declining ground water level in the state.
The Akalis were trying to create misconceptions in the mind of the people by making false allegations against the Congress over the issue, said Capt Amarinder Singh, asserting that there was no question of anyone making money from these meters.
“It was the responsibility of our generation to save water for the future generations,” said the Chief Minister, warning that Punjab could well end up as a desert unless immediate corrective measures are taken to check the decline in water levels.
He cited the example of Patiala where the water level had receded from 70 feet to 700 feet in just one year. Instead of appreciating the efforts of his Government, the Akalis were indulging in deceit and accusations, said Captain Amarinder Singh, urging the people not to get misled by the Akalis, who were hand-in-glove with the BJP and were only interested in filling their pockets at the cost of Punjab’s economy. (PTI)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel