Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, February 26: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal today wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal seeking one year moratorium on recovery of farmers loans by the banks to enable the next government to take policy decision.
Kejriwal, who visited a number of villages to meet families whose members have committed suicide on the second day of his 5-day Punjab tour, said he was pained at the situation as many of the families were under debt amounting to lakhs of rupees. As they failed to pay institutional loan, the banks started exerting pressure for recovery that forced such farmers to take to the extreme step.
He said in some cases, the children had been orphaned and were being looked after by relatives or villagers. In one village alone, about 50 persons had committed suicide due to financial distress as loans had been raised for several reasons varying from individual to individual, including for marriage of the daughter. There were yet other cases where crops had been destroyed and the victim did not get any compensation from the state government.
Kejriwal attributed this situation to corruption and wrong policies of the state government.
He demanded that such forced recovery from distressed farmers by the banks be stopped for a year so that the next government take a policy decision on this issue.
