V P Singh calls for permanent solution to farmers debts

Chamkaur Sahib, Ropar, Nov 26 (UNI) Advocating introduction of a loan waiver scheme for the debt ridden farmers of Punjab, former Prime Minister and Jan Morcha leader V P Singh today said that a permanent solution had to be found to the problems confronting the agricultural community of the country.

''Waiving loans is not a solution, the government should enact some form of law so as to regulate the permanent income of the farmers'', he said while addressing a 'Virsa Sambal Miri-Piri Sikh Sammelaan' here.

The function was organised by the Akali Dal led by former Punjab assembly Speaker Ravi Inder Singh and the 'Sant Samaj' of Sarbjyot Singh Bedi, a religious leader.

Pained at the plight of the farmers of Punjab, Mr Singh termed the foodgrain pricing policy of the government as wayward as it failed to give justice to the producer of the grain. ''The agro-input costs are extremely high, but the prices of wheat, rice and other grains are raised every year by a couple of rupees'', he pointed out while favouring that the input costs should be taken into consideration before fixing the prices of a foodgrain.

''It is because of the expenditure incured on seeds, fertilizers and agro-implements that the farmers find themselves in a debt trap'', he added. ''Why cant the farmers be given the same price at which the government imports wheat'', he asked.

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