The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked the Congress government to come out with a list of farmers whose loans had been waived off and inform the banks about the same as farmers were being penalized by banks for not paying interest on loans due to the assurance of a waiver by the State government.In a statement here, former minister and SAD spokesman Maheshinder Singh Grewal said this was of utmost importance as lakhs of farmers had stopped paying interest on loans on the assurance of chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh that the issue was now between the government and the banks. “Imagine their sense of betrayal when they realize they have been duped by a false poll promise with banks adjusting their social security pension against interest due on their loans”.Mr Grewal said the fake loan package of the Congress government had also been exposed with banks clearly stating that they had not received any notification of a loan waiver till now. “Was chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh speaking a white lie when he told the farmers more than one month back that they need not pay back loans? Why did he announce that banks had been taken into confidence on this issue by the government when nothing like this had happened? Why did he lie about such a sensitive matter on the floor of the house?
Stating that the situation could take a turn for the worst at any time, the Akali leader said it was inhuman to deny old age pension and other benefits by the banks. “Why is the chief minister silent on this issue? Why has he not directed the banks to release social security pensions to farmers immediately and not adjust the same against interest due on their loans”.Mr Grewal said the least the non-functional Congress government could do was to make the list of those eligible for its so called loan waiver scheme available to the people. “Right now there is utter confusion. No one knows who is eligible for the waiver and who is not”. He said this was important because most farmers had stopped paying interest on their loans and were being hit by penal interest. “The condition of such loanees is expected to worsen and we cannot afford that at a time when almost two farmer suicides are occurring every day in the State”, he added.Mr Grewal also pointed out that the entire banking system is set to become paralyzed in the State with banks not ready to issue fresh loans to farmers. “Farmers need to take loans at the time of planting new crops to purchase inputs including fertilizer and diesel. If they do not get loans for this purpose the entire State economy will be hit. Only one person – Capt Amarinder Singh is responsible for creating this havoc. He needs to come out with solutions immediately or face the wrath of the farming community”, the Akali leader added. EOM