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Loan waiver an illusion: UNPA

Says Congress is responsible for farmers’ plight

— Photo: PTI

United National Progressive Alliance leaders (from left): Amar Singh, Chandrababu Naidu, Mulayam Singh and Om Prakash Chautala at a kisan rally in Azamgarh on Sunday.

Azamgarh (U.P.): The United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) on Sunday accused the Congress of being responsible for the current plight of the farmers in the country and termed the proposal for loan waiver as an “illusion.”

Addressing a ‘kisan rally’ here, UNPA chairman and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh said the loan waiver proposal in the budget was nothing but an “illusion” and the farmers would get no benefit.

“If the Centre is sincere in resolving the problems of the farmers, it should formulate a national water policy and implement the Swaminathan Committee report, which has suggested that the farmers should be paid 50 per cent over and above the production cost for the their produce,” Mr. Singh said.

Alleging that about 1.5 lakh farmers commit suicide in the country every year, he said a national water policy should be formulated to ensure irrigation of crops in the areas which received scanty rain. Mr. Singh opposed any further division of Uttar Pradesh and termed the move in this regard a “conspiracy to undermine the political importance of the biggest State of the country.”

The former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party chief, Chandrababu Naidu, also blamed the Congress for the plight of the farmers. “The Congress never cared for the farmers. It always favoured the industrialists,” Mr. Naidu alleged. The former Haryana Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala, demanded that the cap of two hectares of land be removed for the purpose of waiver. Film actor and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan and senior leader Amar Singh were among those present. — PTI

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