Chandigarh: The Congress MP from Gurdaspur, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, on Monday expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of farmers in Punjab, highlighting suicide by two brothers who died by suicide due to their inability to repay loans. He demanded action against the bank officials concerned. He said the condition of farmers in Punjab was going from bad to worse, and their grievances were not being heard. “Farmers have not received minimum support price (MSP) for their crops to date, and flood compensation is out of the question. When farmers take to the streets to demand their rights, Punjab govt responds with lathi charges and tear gas,” he said.Randhawa added Punjab’s farmers were the backbone of the entire nation. “Despite this, they are being neglected. They are not getting fair prices for their crops, forcing them to incur losses. To protect their crops and sustain households, they are compelled to take loans at high interest rates. When they are unable to repay, banks harass them, pushing them to suicide,” he added.According to NCRB data, an average of 11,000 farmers die by suicide annually across the country. Between 2014 and 2023, around 112,000 farmers lost their lives due to various reasons. Some died due to debt, while others succumbed to losses in farming. Media reports suggest that about 150 farmers died by suicide in Punjab in 2023.In the Faridkot case, the two brothers took a loan of Rs 25 lakh for farming. Due to their inability to repay instalments, the amount reportedly doubled to Rs 50 lakh with interest. Distressed by this burden, they chose to end their lives. Randhawa said the govt should have intervened and helped them repay the loan. He also referred to the claim made by AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal that no farmer would die by suicide after April 1 once the party came to power.
