Rupnagar, April 24, 2017: Weather is playing havoc with the farmers of Punjab, so is the Congress led Govt in Punjab, together both are bent upon ruining the farmers, if not corrected Punjab will face worst ever farming/ agricultural crisis since independence, said State Vice President Bharatiya Janata Party Punjab Harjit Singh Grewal, State Secretary Vineet Joshi flanked by State Secy Vijay Puri and senior leader Dr Parminder Sharma, here today at a press conference in Rupnagar.
First, due to untimely rains and hail-storm combined with gusty winds, thousands of acres of wheat crop got damaged. Standing fodder, vegetables and other cash crops too got damaged. As if this was not enough, additional thousands of acres of wheat crop got burnt due to extreme hot weather coupled by external factors like short circuit, burning of crop remains, etc, Said Grewal and Joshi.
Second, believing his promise - "Karja Kurki Khatam, Fasal Ki Puri Rakam" - farmers voted him to power and they now have stopped repaying the loans. If farmers don't repay the loan availed for Rabi crops by 30th of April, Banks will start charging 12 % interest instead of 4 %. Further banks will not grant them loans for Kharif crops, added Grewal and Joshi.
According to Punjab State Level Bankers Committee, a loan of Rs. 77,684 Crores was availed by farmers via 30.23 lakh accounts till 31st of December 2016, and only Rs 5150 Crores is the NPA i.e. 6.63 %. Expecting agricultural debt/farmers’ loan waiver, farmers have stopped repaying their loans and NPA figure will rise from 6.63 % to 100 %.
Since the formation of Captain Amarinder's government more than thirty farmers have committed suicide and the latest developments, if not controlled, will lead to a spate of farmer suicides. BJP Punjab requests Chief Minister Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh to consider it as an emergency and announce agricultural loan waiver immediately.
Captain Amarinder should order time bound girdawari and announce Rupees Twenty Thousand per acre compensation as announced by him in his pre poll promise, so that effected farmers have a ray of hope, concluded Grewal and Joshi.