-The Indian Express An arhtiya from Khanna Mandi said that they are taking Blank Cheques from farmers as a security, adding that both arhtiyas and farmers know that during every procurement season only pre-decided amount would be deducted. Jalandhar: Just when he was ready to harvest his standing wheat crop and ship it to the mandi, farmer Nihal Singh (name changed) from Bathinda’s Baluana village was thrown off balance by an unlikely...
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Cheque bounce cases: Punjab farmers block highway as talks with banks, govt fail -Raakhi Jagga
-The Indian Express On Wednesday evening, a meeting had taken place between Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, representatives of various banks and farmer union leaders. Ludhiana: ON THE fourth day of protests over banks taking action against farmers in cheque bounce cases, farmers’ groups sat on a dharna blocking the Ludhiana-Ferozpur state highway after talks with banks and government representatives failed. The farmers are protesting against banks’ practice of taking Blank Cheques...
More »Defaulting Punjab farmers face jail as banks file criminal cases -Anju Agnihotri Chaba
-The Indian Express All the farmers who faced criminal action for defaulting on loans say they were made to sign on Blank Cheques. “If you write about our plight, will the government stop banks from sending us to jail?,” asks Ujagar Singh. The 60-year-old from Jhumba village in Bathinda district is among scores of Punjab farmers who have been convicted or are facing trial in criminal cases of cheque-bouncing filed by banks...
More »Contradictory positions can hurt India's prospects at the next WTO ministerial -Roshan Kishore
-Hindustan Times India should lead the charge for demanding a better deal on agricultural issues to counter rising protectionist tendencies in the West The 11th Ministerial Conference (henceforth ministerial) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) begins on December 10 in Buenos Aires. Commerce minister Suresh Prabhu has downplayed the need for a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security as a peace clause already exists. He has even termed the demand...
More »Nikhil Dey of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) speaks to Civil Society
-CivilSocietyOnline.com For the past decade state governments have launched a series of Internet-based initiatives to deliver services more efficiently. Technology has been seen as the best way of bypassing red tape and corruption in the system to reach the poor directly with benefits. Beneficiaries are identified through biometrics and a series of tech solutions like smart cards, micro ATMs and so on. The result of these efforts is that India is...
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