PM-KISAN vs farm loan waiver scheme: The jury is still out in Punjab

The farmers were protesting against non-procurement of wheat from local markets. They said their produce was rotting and authorities were doing little

The objective was to meet beneficiaries of the Punjab government’s farm debt waiver scheme in the farmer suicide hotspots of Mansa and Bathinda districts. With a list of beneficiaries in hand, this reporter’s intention was to document how life and farming changed for 100,000-odd farmers who benefitted from the Amarinder Singh government’s loan waiver scheme. 

While taking a right turn on National Highway 703 to the state highway at Mansa, Punjab police personnel asked people to divert to a more circuitous route. A policeman said the state highway has been blocked by farmers. Irrespective of his advice, the journey continued