We don’t need loan, only freedom from debt: SKM
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 9
Making their stance clear on the Centre’s “pro-farmer” decision as regards the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) today said the farmers “do not need more loans, but freedom from indebtedness”.
Misleading claim
Referring to the Rs 1 lakh crore fund is highly misleading because there has been no allocation of even some thousand crores by the govt. farmers’ leaders
The statement comes a day after Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) would have access to Rs 1 lakh crore allocated for the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. “Farmers don’t need more loans, but freedom from indebtedness. They need a legally guaranteed remunerative price for their produce,” it said. The morcha asked the Modi government to “stop churning out ‘jumlas’ around three anti-farmer laws and repeal them immediately”.
Farm leaders said, “Referring to the Rs 1 lakh crore fund is highly misleading because there has been no allocation of even some thousand crores by the government.”
“It has merely created a new head under which loans can be accessed from banks. The government’s role is only to provide interest subvention of 3 per cent and some credit guarantee coverage,” they said.
“The Centre has shown that it has no commitment to build and expand the public market and storage infrastructure for the benefit of small farmers, and has set upon facilitating Adanis, Walmart and Reliance to build private markets, storage and processing facilities,” they alleged.
BKU’s Rakesh Tikait said the Centre could end the farmers’ protest “either with talks or force”. While “farmers are ready to hold talks, discussions should be held without any preconditions”, he added.
