Chandigarh, Apr 23 (PTI) The ruling AAP in Punjab on Saturday slammed the Congress over warrants issued against farmers who defaulted on loans in Ferozepur, and accused it of trying to defame the Bhagwant Mann-led government in the state.

AAP spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang said the warrants were issued in December 2021 under the Charanjit Singh Channi-led government in Punjab.

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After the formation of the AAP government, some officers of the department concerned renewed those warrants, but as soon as the state government came to know about it, the arrest warrants were withdrawn, Kang told reporters here.

Around 930 farmers of Ferozepur district were issued warrants by the state land mortgage bank following non-payment of loans. Farmer unions had threatened to launch a stir against the move.

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Kang said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has directed officials not to issue any summons or warrants against farmers, stating that the government was formulating a new policy to bring farmers out of the mire of debt and make farming a profitable profession.

Later, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema directed the cooperative banks not to issue warrants against farmers for non-payment of debts.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)