SAD asks Punjab govt for list of farmers whose loans waived

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked the Congress government in Punjab to come out with a list of farmers whose loans have been waived, alleging that agriculturists are being penalised by banks for not repaying their outstanding dues.
SAD spokesman Maheshinder Singh Grewal said the party has asked the state government to give a list of farmers whose loans have been waived and inform the banks about the same.
In a statement here, Grewal said this was of utmost importance as lakhs of farmers had stopped paying interest on loans on the assurance of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh that the government would handle the issue with the banks.

"Imagine their sense of betrayal when they realise they have been duped by a false poll promise with banks adjusting their social security pension against interest due on their loans," he alleged.
Grewal said the "fake" debt waiver 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 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?" he asked.

"Right now there is utter confusion. No one knows who is eligible for the waiver and who is not," he said.
Grewal also pointed out that the entire banking system is set to become paralysed 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 fertiliser and diesel. If they do not get loans for this purpose the entire state economy will be hit," the Akali leader said.