Asserting his continued support to the farmers agitating against the three black farm laws, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday said the Centre was not listening to the farmers in the matter due to prestige issues.

Launching a Rs 520 Crore debt relief scheme for 2.85 lakh farm labourers and landless farmers on the 77th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Sri Anandpur Sahib, the CM said he does not agree with the stand taken by the Central government, who are not listening to the farmers.

“We have amended the Constitution 127 times, so why are we not doing it now? Why is the government of India standing on prestige on the issue of the farm laws,” he asked, adding that he had categorically urged the Prime Minister and the Union home minister to repeal the legislation.”

“These small farmers are not fighting for themselves but for their coming generations,” he said, questioning why the Centre could not see the pain of the protesting farmers. These farmers are mostly those who own an average of 2.5 acres of land, he said, recalling that during a visit to Poland long back he had seen that country increasing the land ceiling from the existing 40 acres to 100 acres as families could not feed themselves with such small landholdings.

“So you can imagine what will happen to those who have just 2.5 acres,” he remarked, asking “how will they feed their families if the new laws are imposed on them?”

Pointing out that around 400 farmers had died during the agitation against farm laws, the CM said the Centre needs to protect the minimum support price (MSP) and the market system as well as the age-old relationship between the farmers and the Arhtiyas (grain commission agents) in the interest of the nation.

Amarinder said his government had decided to waive off loans amounting to Rs 520 Crore of farm labour and landless farmers with respect to the principal amount against their cooperative loans as of 31 July 2017, and simple interest (seven per cent per annum) on the above amount till 6 March 2019. The state government had earlier waived off Rs 4700 Crore worth of loans (up to Rs 2 lakh of crop loan each) for 5.85 lakh small and marginal farmers.