If needed, Govt to bring another loan waiver for farmers: Sachin Pilot

Asserting that Congress always stood for the welfare of farmers, Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot today said UPA Government would not hesitate to roll out another scheme waiving farm loans if the need arose.

Addressing a 'Kisan Sammelan' in this satellite city on the occasion of his late father Rajesh Pilot's 68th birth anniversary, Pilot listed the "pro-farmer and pro-people" initiatives taken by the Congress-led coalition in the past eight years.

"We have always stood for the welfare of farmers. We know their importance and that is why the UPA Government during its previous tenure brought the Rs 70,000-crore farm loan waiver scheme. It helped lakhs of farmers in the country who have been struggling to pay back their loans," he said.

"Farmers' interests are paramount for us. This Government will not hesitate to bring out another scheme like this for farmers. If a need arose in the future, we will not hesitate to do so," Pilot told hundreds of people who had come from his constituency Ajmer and other parts of Rajasthan.

He was speaking after Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda unveiled a statue of late Rajesh Pilot in Sector 55 on the Golf Course Road. Hooda also renamed the stretch as Rajesh Pilot Road.

Rajesh Pilot, who died in a road accident in Rajasthan in 2000, had represented Dausa and Bharatpur constituencies in Parliament.

Pilot also said Congress was the only party which gives importance to "youth power" and cited Rahul Gandhi's elevation as Vice-President as an instance of how the youth are rewarded in the party.

Sachin Pilot said villages should be the centre of development and that the country cannot progress unless 6.5 lakh villages in the country sees development.

His mother Rama Pilot made an emotional speech saying her husband always worked for the welfare of farmers and that was the reason why people from far-away places in Rajasthan have come to see the unveiling of his statue.

"My husband worked for the country tirelessly and he is no more. Now I have given my son for the country and he should follow his father's footsteps always," she said.

Hooda lavished praises on Rajesh Pilot, calling him a "true leader" of farming community and one who was always at the forefront when it came to fighting for their rights.

"I had know Rajesh Pilot for several years. I had worked closely with him. His heart always ached for farmers and he never let them down," he said.

Other speakers, including Sports Minister Jitendra Singh, spoke about Rajesh Pilot's tenure as the Minister for Internal Security and his visit to Jammu and Kashmir at the height of militancy.