Punjab in financial quagmire but we can’t give up: BKU's Joginder Singh Ugrahan

“Punjab is in a deep financial quagmire, but we cannot just resign to our fate and sit quietly,” said Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of the Bharti Kisan Union (BKU, Ugrahan), in an interview with The Tribune today.

This statement comes a day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann assured farmers that the state is considering a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme for their pending loans. Ugrahan expressed cautious optimism: “The government has opened its doors for discussion, and we see another ray of hope in this seemingly unending tunnel of despair. The situation is difficult but not impossible.”

Studies indicate that farmers in Punjab owe between Rs 80,000 to 1,00,000 crore in loans. A report by the National Statistical Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, released last February, showed the average outstanding loan per agricultural household in Punjab was Rs 2,03,249.

Meanwhile, the state’s ambitious canal water project faces administrative and environmental challenges, and the cleanup of the polluted Buddha Nullah remains a significant hurdle.

Balbir Singh Rajewal, president of the BKU (Rajewal), criticised the government’s response to Ludhiana’s pollution problem, saying: “Shifting the so-called pollution-causing industry from Ludhiana won’t solve the residents’ problems. Untreated waste from city establishments continues to overwhelm the sewerage treatment plants (STPs), which handle 703 megalitres per day (MLD), while at least 1,000 MLD goes untreated.” He pointed out that Rs 650 crore had been allocated for a special project by the Capt Amarinder Singh government and called for an inquiry into where the money had gone.

Rajewal also expressed scepticism about the Malwa canal project, stating that the government lacked a feasibility report or the necessary Rs 2,300 crore in funding. He noted that the governments of Haryana and Rajasthan are unlikely to approve the project easily.

Rajewal and agriculture expert Devinder Sharma both argued for a one-time loan waiver for farmers, similar to those given to corporates. Sharma pointed out that the Reserve Bank of India had compromised on Rs 3.45 lakh crore for 16,600 companies in the corporate sector, and farmers deserve similar concessions. He called for the establishment of a National Farmer Relief Commission.

A former Agriculture Secretary cautioned that waiving farmer loans is not an easy task, emphasising the need to address Punjab’s agricultural crisis from a broader perspective. According to a 2022 National Green Tribunal (NGT) report, Punjab’s groundwater reserves may not last more than 17 years.

He noted that young people are increasingly uninterested in agriculture and that the education system does not adequately prepare them for employment. “Even farmers are not united in voicing their demands,” he said.

Ugrahan concluded by urging for unity among the farmer unions: “Look at our cause, not our differences. We are all highlighting our grievances, even if in different voices.”