Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh should be proceeded against for committing fraud by promising farmers a waiver he could not implement even if he came to power.
"You promised farmers in Punjab that you would get their loans waived off when you come to power. However even before the elections could be held you were seen at the PM's door begging the Prime Minister to waive off these loans. Either you knew that you could not waive off these loans or you deliberately lied to the people of Punjab. It is now up to you to come clean on this issue", Mr Badal said while addressing newsmen here today.The SAD president said this was not the first time that the Congress had lied to the people by making tall promises and not kept the same. "Earlier your leaders promised people before the polls that they would give five acres of land free of cost to the landless but did nothing to fulfil this promise once elected to power".
Badal said it seemed Mr Amarinder had bitten more than he could chew."This can be the only reason why you are covering your tracks and approaching the PM to fulfil this demand. Why didn't you do anything on this front during the ten year of UPA rule? Did you even make a single representation to your own Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh or your party president Sonia Gandhi on this issue? Has any Congress government in any State made any effort to waive farmer dues? You yourself as chief minister did not try to come to the aid of farmers. Forget initiating any loan or even interest waiver exercise, you even endangered the entire farm economy of Punjab by withdrawing the free power facility extended to farmers to take care of their irrigation needs by S Parkash Singh Badal".The SAD president said the Kejriwal style drama of Mr Amarinder yesterday had proved that he had no intention of waiving off any farmer loan even if he came to power. He said Amarinder had lied and deceived the farmers and even concocted forms which had no legal sanctity. "This amounts to betraying the interests of farmers for cheap petty political gains", he added.
Badal said all this had happened because Amarinder was far removed from the people and the State. "He does not live in the State nor does he have any time to meet the people of the State be it his former constituents of Patiala or Amritsar. He said Amarinder was also ignorant of what was happening in Punjab as he was surrounded by a coterie which kept him busy in other activities. "If Amarinder had paid even a little attention to what was going on in the State he would have known about the steps taken by Badal Sahab to ameliorate the lot of farmers. Besides ensuring a record compensation of Rs - per acre for crop damage the SAD- BIP government has also provided free health facilities to farmers".Badal said this was not all. The issue of indebtedness had been tackled holistically by coming out with the Settlement of Indebtedness bill besides ensured farmers were not charged excessive interest. He said this was followed up with formation of debt settlement tribunals in all comissionerates so that all disputes of farmers were settled expeditiously.
The SAD leader said the SAD- BJP government had recently even come to the aid of small farmers by extending them interest free crop loans of Rs 50,000. "This was done to cover the cost of inputs of farmers during the recent sowing period. We are also committed to offering cooperative loans at nominal interest to farmers. I am sure the union government will come out with a good package for farmers in the forthcoming budget".The SAD president said all this proved that the Punjab government had already done what Amarinder was promising to the farmers. "It is for this reason that farmers treat S Badal as their messiah who has stood as a rock to protect their facilities like free water for irrigation and never betrayed them. You on the other hand betrayed Punjabi farmers by withdrawing this facility. It is best you learn to practice what you preach before you get ready to befool farmers again with your false and hollow promises", Mr Badal added.