Jaitley has forgotten farmers of Punjab, alleges Cong leader

A day after BJP's 'Vision Document' for poll-bound Bihar proposed farm loan at zero per cent interest, Congress leader Sunil Jakhar today said Union Minister Arun Jaitley has "forgotten the farmers of the state."
"Arun Jaitley came to contest Lok Sabha polls from Punjab. But when he became the Union Finance Minister he forgot the farmers of the state," Jakhar said.
He was speaking at the sidelines of a programme organised by Shree Ramnavami Utsav Committee of which Hind Samachar Group of Newspapers' Editor-in-Chief Vijay Kumar Chopra is the president.
"Being the finance minister of the country, Jaitley should care about farmers of all states. He sought votes in Punjab and then proposed farm loan at zero per cent interest for Bihar farmers only," the Congress leader said.

"I am not saying that Bihar farmers shouldn't get the benefits. Punjab farmers too should get some facilities as they too are facing a lot of troubles, some natural and some caused by the sate government, forcing them to commit suicide," he said.
Alleging that the ruling Akalis denied any loss to cotton farmers in Punjab due to white-fly attacks, Jakhar said the state government initially announced a compensation package of just Rs 10 crore but later it was increased to Rs 600 crore.
He demanded compensation at the rate of Rs 20,000 per hectre for the affected cotton farmers.

The Punjab Opposition leader also alleged that under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna, the Centre had provided Rs 3,523 crore to the state government which went into "scams" and demanded CBI probe into it.