Congress loan waiver functions are wasteful: AAP

Chandigarh, Feb 4 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday dubbed the Congress government's loan waiver functions in Punjab as a "wasteful extravaganza without substance" and said that it won't heal the festering wounds of the farmers in the state.

Denouncing the hosting of such "celebratory functions involving lakhs of rupees", Punjab AAP unit chief and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann said that the state government had miserably failed to live up to the poll commitments it made to the distressed farming community on a complete loan waiver.

In a statement here, Mann said: "It is nothing but a cover up to the failures of the government and to distract peoples' mind from the core issues forcing the farmers to spend sleepless nights."

Referring to the recent loan waiver function at Bathinda, Mann alleged that Rs 11 lakh were reportedly spent on hosting a massive function where the amount was spent on arranging food and entertainment for the gathering, besides expenses incurred on security arrangements.

"Instead of holding such sham functions, the government should delve deeper into the malaise and nail it once and for all," he said, adding that had the government been serious about the plight of the farmers in the state, a large number of farmers would not have been forced to commit suicide.

He said that 430 farmers had committed suicide so far during the two-year term of the Amarinder Singh government, which was a disgrace.

The Congress government in Punjab claims to have, till date, waived off loans amounting to Rs 3,452 crore of 4.17 lakh farmers.