Fuming over the alleged silence and inaction of the Punjab government, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM non-political) has announced a major escalation of its ongoing agitation from June 1 over the practice of retaining signed blank cheques by Primary Cooperative Agricultural Development Banks (PADB/PAD Banks).
The farmers’ body said it will intensify its protest across Punjab, directly targeting what it described as the state administration’s refusal to intervene in the dispute involving agricultural banking practices.
The SKM’s agitation is centred around a prolonged dharna outside 12 PAD Banks. Farmer unions are protesting against the banks’ practice of allegedly retaining signed blank cheques from farmers as a condition for securing land mortgages and agricultural loans.
Farmer leaders alleged that the blank cheques are being used by banking institutions as an exploitative tool to pressure distressed farmers, often threatening them with legal action or property seizure during periods of financial hardship.
Despite continuous demonstrations highlighting the issue, the state government has allegedly remained silent and failed to initiate administrative dialogue or issue directions, the protesting unions said.
Farmers further alleged that keeping blank cheques as collateral violates fair banking guidelines and leaves them vulnerable to arbitrary legal penalties.
The unions also accused the state government of ignoring the dharnas and shielding corporate and institutional financial bodies at the cost of farmers’ interests.
Amid what they termed a complete breakdown of communication with authorities, the SKM has called for village-to-district level mobilisations to scale up the agitation across Punjab from June 1.
The issue had earlier triggered protests in Faridkot following the alleged suicide of two farmer brothers from Harineau village. Nearly a week after the incident, farmer organisations led by farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal staged a demonstration outside the Land Mortgage Bank-cum-PADB in Faridkot on March 30.
Dallewal accused banks of harassing debt-ridden farmers and demanded strict action against officials responsible.
The agitation was part of a statewide call by farmer unions, which held protests outside land mortgage banks across Punjab.
According to reports, the two brothers allegedly died by suicide after jumping in front of a moving train on March 23 this year. The incident had sent shockwaves across the region and once again brought the agrarian crisis into focus.
The brothers were reportedly under severe financial stress due to mounting agricultural debt. They had allegedly taken a loan of around Rs 5 lakh, but due to high interest and penalties, the repayable amount had escalated to nearly Rs 17 lakh.
