A month after Congress won in Rajasthan and Ashok Gehlot became the chief minister for the third time, farmers of Sikar district have decided to protest over unfulfilled loan waiver promises. Newly-appointed government’s failure to give Minimum Support Price for their produce will also come under fire.
After taking oath as Rajasthan CM, Gehlot had announced waivers for farmer loans of up to Rs 2 Lakh taken till November 2018. The write-offs would be applicable to short-term loans taken from cooperative banks and loans of up to Rs 2 lakh taken from nationalized, commercial or other banks till November 30.
The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the farmer front of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), is protesting the delay in implementation of the loan waiver scheme promised by the newly formed Congress government in the state.
Here is what farmers say-
Farmers say that they feel cheated by Congress and say a big stir is in the making. Farmers claim that the write-offs are “exclusionary” and will thus leave a vast majority of the debt-ridden without relief.
According to their claims, the riders in the government order will lock several farmers out from loan waiver benefits. It should be noticed that the order said the only the loans of defaulting farmers from nationalized banks would be written off.
Days after the waiver announcement, farmers protesting alongside AIKS, burnt effigies of Gehlot on December 21. On January 8, farmers in Sikar burned copies of the loan waiver order in protest. The next day, they staged an agitation at the district headquarters and handed out a memo of their demands. Now, CPI(M) and AIKS leaders Amara Ram and Pema Ram had led thousands of farmers to stage a sit-in at the Jaipur-Sikar highway.
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