Haryana farmers to hit roads for loan waiver

Chandigarh: After the Punjab government announced the farm loan waiver, the ripples of the decision are being felt in neighboring Haryana. The farmer unions in Haryana have decided to start a statewide agitation if the state government did not waive off farm loans.

The farmers unions are going to start their agitation later this month by demonstrating in front of DC offices in the state.

According to government data, there is at least Rs 6,575-cr worth of defaulting loans which farmers could not pay back on time. The report said that the total amount of farm loan disbursed by both cooperative and commercial banks was much higher. With more than 22 lakh Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) being distributed, the total outstanding crop loan in Haryana till 2015 is estimated to be at least Rs 28,558 crores. Although some reports suggest that total farm loan pending against the farmers of Haryana is to the tune of Rs 56,000 crores.

The face-off between farmers and the Khattar government has the capacity to change state politics. Farmer unions, including Bhartiya Kissan Union, are demanding complete waiver of farm loans. However, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has ruled out farm loan waiver, saying, “Each state is different. We already have several initiatives for farmers and give them all manner of support. We have given farmers the highest per acre compensation (in the country) for crop loss, unlike other states. We help farmers procure seed and pesticides.”

Already, some other farmer outfits have planned “gherao DC offices” in various parts of the state to press for their demands.

According to Vijay Kapoor, general secretary of Kissan Welfare Sabha, farmers of Haryana are in distress. He said that only the implementation of ‘Sawminthan commission’ report and raising the farmers’ income level, could help the community. 

The procurement policy was faulty, the private agents who procured from the farmers never gave them their due price and lack of MSP for crops also put farmers under perpetual threat of loss, he said. 

Keeping in view the importance of farmers as a constituency, Opposition Congress has already extended their support to the farmer unions and some senior Congress leaders from Haryana have visited the agitating farmers.