The fourth round of positive talks took place between the government and the farmers. The government is ready to give to farmers MSP on four crops for five years. The government said that if farmers who are doing farmers protest to grow masoor dal, urad dal, tur dal and maize, then government institutions are ready to guarantee MSP on these.
The fourth round of talks between Union ministers and farmer leaders took place in a positive atmosphere in Chandigarh on Sunday evening. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that there was a positive discussion and detailed discussion with the farmer leaders. This conversation took place at that time when thousands of farmers are camping on the Punjab and Haryana border. From the Centre, three ministers – Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai attended the meeting with the farmers.
The government gave these proposals to the farmers
- Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the government is ready to give MSP on four crops for five years.
- Farmers have been proposed to purchase pulses, maize and cotton crops by government agencies at minimum support price for five years.
- Cooperative societies like NCCF (National Cooperative Consumer Federation) and NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) will enter into contracts with those farmers. Those who grow ‘Arhar Dal’, ‘Urad Dal’, ‘Masoor Dal’ or maize. Their crops will be purchased at MSP for the next five years.
- There will be no limit on the quantity of purchase i.e. it will be unlimited and a portal will be developed for this.
- The government believes that the production of different crops will save Punjab’s agriculture, improve the groundwater level and save the land from becoming barren, which is already under threat.
Farmers will take a decision after discussing the government’s proposal
Farmer leaders said that they will discuss the government’s proposal at their forums in the next two days and then decide on future plans. On the Centre’s proposal, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, ‘We will discuss it on our forums on February 19-20 and take experts’ opinion in this regard and take a decision accordingly.’
Pandher said, discussion on loan waiver and other demands is pending and we hope that they will be resolved in the next two days. He said that the ‘Dilli Chalo’ march is currently halted, but will start again on February 21, 2024 at 11 am. Not all issues were resolved. Union ministers and farmers leaders, they had earlier met on 8, 12 and 15 February but the talks remained inconclusive. The protesting farmers from Punjab have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri points on the Haryana-Punjab border since February 13, when their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march was stopped by the police.
Click here to read Farmer Protest 2024 : वे क्या चाहते हैं? उनकी रणनीति क्या है?
Farmers’ demand has been made in Farmers Protest
- Legal guarantee of MSP
- Implementing the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.
- Pension for farmers and farm laborers
- Farm loan waiver
- No increase in electricity rates
- Justice for the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri violence of 2021
- Reinstatement of Land Acquisition Act, 2013
- Compensation to the families of farmers killed during the farmers’ movement in 2020-21
