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Congress plans to set up panel on farmers’ suicides in Punjab

Chandigarh: Concerned over the of suicides by farmers in Punjab in the recent years, the Congress on Thursday decided to set up a panel to chalk out programmes for solving the prolonged problem hitting the State.

“The Congress has decided to constitute a panel so that the issue of suicides by farmers can be deliberated,” Pradesh Congress Committee chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal told journalists here.

She said the panel would find out ways and what kind of help can be rendered to the debt-ridden farmers and what best the Centre can do for them.

“A proposal will be drafted by the panel soon to be handed over to the Central government for taking remedial measures,” she said.

Ms. Bhattal said her party would demand a special package for the debt-ridden farmers of the State from United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi during her proposed visit to the State in February next year.

The PCC chief claimed that the Parkash Singh Badal government had failed completely in taking concrete steps to resolve the issue of suicides by the farmers in the State.

Ms. Bhattal said that her party was ready to lend all kind of support to the Badal government on the issue of suicides by farmers.

Describing the issue as “very serious,” she said all aspects of the issue would be deliberated by the panel and the role that the State and Central governments could play in the issue will be chalked out.

Ms. Bhattal also urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take stringent measures so that the respective State governments take effective steps to strengthen and streamline the public distribution system in states. — PTI

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Congress plans to set up panel on farmers’ suicides in Punjab

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