Fatehgarh Sahib, August 08, 2017: A four-member committee of MLAs constituted by the Punjab Assembly Speaker to identify the cause of farmers' suicides and to suggest measures to control this menace today visited the house of deceased debt-ridden farmer Devinder Singh of village Chanarthal Kalan.
The deceased had committed suicide allegedly due to the harassment at the end of Commission agents a few days ago. The MLAs panel visited the bereaved family to express sympathy and to know the exact cause of committing suicide by the three male members of the family of which the deceased was the last surviving male member.
Led by MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sukh Sarkaria, the panel comprising Kuljeet Singh Nagra, Congress MLA Fatehgarh Sahib, Harinder Pal Singh Chandumajra SAD(B) MLA Sanour and Najar Singh Mansahia AAP MLA from Mansa along with Deputy Commissioner Kanwalpreet Brar, SSP Alka Meena and other officials visited the bereaved family.
Talking to the committee members Harnek Singh Bhal Majra, district president BKU (Dakonda) discussed in detail the cause of the suicides.
He suggested that the government must link the MSP with the price index and implement the Dr Swaminathan report, otherwise no one can stop the farmers from committing suicides as the cost of production exceeded the prices of farm produce manifold. This led to accumulated financial losses over the years forcing farmers to fall in debt trap.
Another farmer leader alleged that majority of the Commission agents, who lend money to farmers and charge hefty rate of interest don't have money lending licenses and there is no system to check their fleecing. He said they are just commission agents and they should get only commission on sale of produce and should not indulge in money lending.
BKU( Dakonda) members, who took up the case of Gurlabh Singh, who also committed suicide in front of the house of Commission agents at Patiala in 2016 and the father of deceased Devinder Singh told the committee members that had the then Deputy Commissioner of Patiala and Pooja Sayal the then SDM of Patiala had fulfill the promise of giving Rs.5 Lakh to the family of deceased Gurlabh Singh, his son deceased Devinder Singh could have been saved.
Large number of farmers present there urged the committee members to impress the Govt. to fulfill its promise made by Captain Amarinder Singh in the Assembly to waive the loans at the earliest to curb the menace of suicides.
The panel's chairman, Sukhbinder Singh Sukh Sarkaria told mediapersons that suicide by Devinder Singh was very unfortunate. The panel would also visit the houses of all those farmers who committed suicide. A report would be submitted after three months, he added.