The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday requested the Vidhan Sabha Speaker to allocate two days for an exclusive discussion on issues concerning the farmers during the ongoing budget session. It also demanded that the Congress government announce a minimum support price (MSP) for vegetables and fruits.The SAD legislative wing, which handed over a representation in this regard to Speaker Rana K.P. Singh under the leadership of Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, said the two-day discussion, besides covering the issues of the farm loan waiver promise, farmer suicides and the Congress government's failure to take up the issue of repeal of the three agricultural laws with the Centre, should also spell out the way forward.The representation said one such way ahead was announcing MSP for all vegetables and fruits immediately.It said this measure would provide much needed security to vegetable and potato growers as well as kinnow growers, among others.The SAD legislators, while informing the Speaker that the state was in the midst of an agrarian crisis, said "the major reason for this is the complete loan waiver promise made by then Pradesh Congress President Amarinder Singh in January 2017."They said Amarinder Singh had clearly promised that in case the Congress party forms the government in Punjab it would waive off all farmer loans be it from government or private banks, cooperative societies or arhatiyas or commission agents.
The legislators said the Congress government's failure to implement the loan waiver scheme had resulted in 1,500 farmer suicides and indebtedness had increased because the people believed the Chief Minister and did not pay their loan instalments.They said the Congress party had also promised Rs 10 lakh compensation and a government job to the families of all the farmers who committed suicide due to indebtedness but even this promise was not kept.The SAD legislators said similarly farmers were very perturbed at the failure of the Punjab government to come to the aid of those protesting against the farm laws.They said the Punjab government participated in meetings in which the three agricultural Ordinances, which later took the shape of laws, were finalized.The lawmakers added that the Punjab government had also amended the Agricultural Produce Marketing Act (APMC) in 2017, months after it formed the government in the state."The amended APMC has the same provisions as contained in the three central Acts and that is why farmers are demanding it be scrapped."They said the Punjab farmers were also angry that their government had not defended them against persecution by Delhi Police and that the Chief Minister had failed to take up the issues of farmers with the Centre.The SAD legislators also pointed out that other agricultural issues which needed a resolution included timely release of hundreds of crores owed to sugarcane farmers and ensuring an increase of the state Assured Price on the pattern of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.The members, while requesting the Speaker to allow this discussion on priority, said not doing so would be tantamount to betraying the 'annadaata'."We are confident that you will not disappoint the peasantry and will go down in the annals of history as the custodian of the House who put the 'annadaata' first", they told the Speaker.