Varinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 23

With the help of NRIs, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has come to the rescue of beleaguered families of those farmers who committed suicides due to debt caused by farm loans in Punjab.

The AAP alleged that the Centre and the state government were responsible for the plight of the farmers and farm labourers in the country and have launched “Peedat Kisan Khet Mazdoor Muhim” movement to help them.

Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Wednesday disbursed one-time financial aid of Rs 50,000 each to 20 families whose male members had committed suicides in the Malwa region.

“The party has adopted 50 other such families and they would be given a monthly aid of Rs 2,500 for a period of at least five years from today onwards,” Khaira said.

While, 50 families have been “adopted” by two California-based doctors, Dr Harjeet Singh Gill and Sangram Singh Gill from Jhingar Kalan village near Dasuya, through the AAP, the one-time financial help of Rs 50,000 each for the 20 suicide victim families of the Malwa region has been extended by NRIs based in the US, Canada, the UK and other countries.

Khaira said: “The party is not in a position to get the farm loans waived or to compensate any loss of life, but it has taken an initiative to motivate the NRIs and other people to come and help distressed farmers at a time when the Central and the state governments have “failed” to provide any relief to them.”

“We are not doing a favour on farmers, but it is our duty. There are more than 50 lakh Punjabi NRIs. If each of them comes out with a help of just one dollar they would roughly be contributing a good amount of Rs 35 crore for the help of small and marginal farmers. I urge all NRIs and people belonging to all sections of the society to come forward and help these farmers,” said Khaira after handing over cheques to farm-suicide victims.

He said: “The BJP Government has turned a blind eye towards big industrial houses and influential families who owes Rs 2 lakh crore to banks and financial institutions. But it cannot waive farm loans, which is around Rs 1 lakh crore. If the government can extend special tax concessions to the hill states then why can’t it help farmers.”

Khaira alleged that more than 200 Punjab farmers have committed suicides during the five-month-old Congress rule in the state.

“Farmers and farm labourers are increasing taking to suicide path for they have got frustrated over false promises made by the Congress just for the sake of usurping power in Punjab. Capt Amarinder Singh already knew that Punjab owed a huge Rs 2 lakh crore debt well before the Punjab Assembly polls. Still, he went ahead with his promises of complete waiving of loans of farmers in the run-up to the polls. Now, the Congress is washing its hands off by saying that Punjab has no money for complete payment of farm loans,” Khaira said.

AAP co-convener Aman Arora and MLAs, Prof Baljinder Kaur, Rupinder Kaur Ruby and Najar Singh, were also present.