30 January, 2026 | Punjab
Senior Congress leader and MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce a special relief package for farmers of Punjab, including a comprehensive waiver of agricultural loans, in view of the Prime Minister’s proposed visit to the State.
In a communication addressed to the Prime Minister, Khaira highlighted the severe financial distress being faced by lakhs of small and marginal farmers in Punjab, who continue to remain burdened under mounting agricultural debt. He stated that the Prime Minister’s visit presents an important opportunity to provide long-awaited relief to struggling rural families across the State.
Khaira pointed out that while loans worth nearly ₹16 lakh crore taken by large corporate houses have been written off by banks over the years, the total outstanding agricultural debt of Punjab farmers stands at around ₹1 lakh crore. He said this burden is spread across lakhs of farming households who depend entirely on agriculture for survival.
Emphasising the historic contribution of Punjab’s farmers, Khaira said they are not merely an economic group but represent a legacy of sacrifice and nation-building. He recalled Punjab’s pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle and noted that, post-Independence, farmers from the State led the Green Revolution, making India self-reliant in foodgrain production and ensuring national food security.
He further stated that even today, sons and daughters of farming families form the backbone of the Indian Armed Forces and continue to safeguard the country’s borders, often laying down their lives amid heightened tensions along the frontiers with China and Pakistan.
Khaira asserted that considering Punjab’s unmatched contribution to both food security and national defence, it has become a moral imperative to xtend meaningful support to its farmers. He urged the Prime Minister to announce a substantial relief package, including agricultural loan waiver, which would provide immediate financial relief and restore dignity and hope among rural families.
He expressed confidence that such a decision would be remembered as a historic step towards justice for the nation’s “annadatas” and would reaffirm the government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare.
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