Anguished at distress selling by Punjab farmers, Capt Amarinder calls for demonetisation review

nabaz-e-punjab, New Delhi, December 31:
Expressing anguish at the distress selling being resorted to by farmers in the state, Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday called for an immediate review of demonetisation, while demanding strong measures by the central and state governments to rescue the farmers from the crisis they have been plunged into by the ill-conceived policies of both, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Reacting with concern to media reports highlighting the plight of farmers in the wake of note-bandi, Captain Amarinder said the farmers, already reeling under the Badal-triggered agrarian crisis, had been subjected to further problems as a result of demonetisation.
First the Badal government’s anti-farmer policies brought them to the brink of bankruptcy, with procurement delays and failure to make timely MSP payments. Now demonetisation has aggravated their woes to such an extent that they are being forced to get rid of their produce at abominably low prices, leaving them with no money to even survive, leave alone save, said Captain Amarinder.

Farmers have no money to pay the agricultural labourers while the traders have no money to give to the farmers, said Captain Amarinder, adding that the farmers did not have sufficient funds to meet the expenses of their families and agricultural needs.

With traders having no money to pay them, the farmers are forced to borrow money at high interest rates from the commission agents, said the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president. Many of the farmers, he pointed out, were being reduced to even ploughing/destroying their produce because they were unable to sell it.
The situation, said Captain Amarinder, was critical and needed immediate intervention to save the farmers, many of whom had already resorted to suicide due to heavy debt burdens under the Badal regime.
Blaming Modi squarely for failing to properly implement the demonetisation policy, Captain Amarinder pointed out that even after the 50 days promised by the prime minister, the chaos and problems faced by the people as a result of the note-bandi continue unabated.
The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president demanded that the prime minister come out with a white paper answering the questions raised by AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi on the demonetisation issue as the people had the right to know why and how long their suffering would continue.