-The Economic Times blog Farmers, from Punjab in the north to Tamil Nadu in the south, have started agitations demanding farm loans be waived. The Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra governments have already considered it politically expedient to write them off. Some other states may follow the suit. However, such decisions are as misguided as they are misleading. Nonetheless, it will be a mistake to treat the agitations as a domino effect of...
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Small or marginal farmers: Debt waiver tough call for Punjab -Vibhor Mohan
-The Times of India Chandigarh: Nearly three months after being sworn in, the Congress government in Punjab is still working on farm debt waiver, its key poll plank in the last assembly elections. But even as the government panel hopes to submit an interim report this week, independent experts point out that given the poor financial health of the state and the Centre in no mood to offer a bailout, the...
More »Punjab Cotton Farmers' Dilemma: Despite More Crop Yield, Profit Is Meagre -Nikhil Pandhi
-NDTV This year, the Punjab government claims farmers are likely have a bumper cotton harvest, with cotton acreage doubling in the Malwa region to about 3.9 lakh acres -- against last year's 2.4 lakh acres -- and the government's awareness and action-against-whitefly campaigns in place Punjab: Baldev Sharma, 39, from Bathinda's Talwandi Sabo is a third generation cotton farmer. This year he sowed cotton on 12 acres of land compared to...
More »Chouhan to fast & hold talks with farmers -Rasheed Kidwai
-The Telegraph Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today invited the leaders of the agitating farmers for talks tomorrow, while arson attacks continued at many places in Madhya Pradesh and another death was reported from protest hub Mandsaur. Ghanashyam Dhakad, a 26-year-old farmer, was said to be on his way to a temple last night when some policemen allegedly thrashed him with sticks. He was declared dead this morning at...
More »Madhya Pradesh farmer protest: Loan waivers are worst form of populism, they won't solve real issues -Mihir Shah
-Firstpost.com I am totally opposed to farm loan waivers as it will undermine the integrity of farmers. When state governments announce farm loan waivers, it is a knee-jerk reaction. Why are farm loans being given at all? Instead, the government should focus on the real issues that affect the agrarian sector. Since it hasn’t, you have agitations hitting the road with farmers protesting. The Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to waive off farmer...
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