The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has asked finance minister Manpreet Badal to explain why he lied to farmers on the farm loan waiver notification, even as it asked PCC chief Sunil Jakhar to explain with what moral right he was contesting the Gurdaspur by-poll after failing to convince his party government to implement the waiver. In a statement here, former minister and party spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said it was shocking that Manpreet Badal was again trying to defraud farmers by making it appear that the government had applied for execution of farm loan waiver when it had done nothing of this sort. “The loan waiver amount comes to Rs 90,000 crore. The government is asking for exemption for a notification which aims at giving one tenth of this amount back to farmer in instalments".
Stating that even scheme had been rejected by the banks, the Akali leader said it appeared the FM had hidden the fact that the State level Bankers Committee had refused to implement the government crop loan scheme. “The bankers have rejected this because the government is refusing to deposit any money upfront to the banks.
The Bankers have told the FM that they have not got permission for this kind of scheme from their head offices. This also makes it clear that there is no loan waiver in the pipe line. This makes Manpreet Badal not only guilty of cheating farmers but also abetting their suicides. He must be booked immediately for the same”. Speaking about PCC president Sunil Jakhar's role in the entire matter, Dr Cheema said "one PCC President - Capt Amarinder Singh made this promise. It is incumbent on Mr Sunil Jakhar to get it implemented. Till now he has abysmally failed in his duty. He has wilfully justified the delaying tactics of the Congress government and even become party to the latest fraud of seeking the Election Commission approval for the loan waiver when it could have been easily implemented before the code was enforced. He must tell the people of Gurdaspur with what moral right he has now come to them to seek their votes", Dr Cheema added. Asserting that the entire farming community was in a state of crisis, Dr Cheema said dalits and farm labourers should also be included in the ambit of any proposed loan waiver scheme. “This is the utmost need of the hour. In case the government does not heed this demand we will launch a movement to ensure dalits and farm labourers get their due”, he added.