Mann further urged peace and said the farmers’ union’s decision, which will be announced tomorrow, should be considered even as some state governments shut down the internet | File image
After the fourth round of talks between Union ministers and farmer leaders, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said farmers have demanded a guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) on purchase of pulses.
Addressing the media on Monday, Mann said he was in the meeting as an advocate for the farmers.
“The discussions lasted for five hours. I talked about the benefits for Punjab. We had asked for an MSP guarantee on the purchase of pulses, which was discussed today,” Mann said.
He further added that “a guarantee has to be given first, which will be possible only if NAFED, NCCF and Cotton Corporation are given a 5-year guarantee. There are 6 to 7 decisions, this proposal has been made in which the farmers will take the decision and then they will discuss.”
Mann further urged peace and said the farmers’ union’s decision, which will be announced tomorrow, should be considered even as some state governments shut down the internet.
Earlier, Union Minister Piyush Goyal claimed that they had a very positive and comprehensive discussion with farmers’ representatives, adding that the farmer leaders will announce their decision on the government’s proposals tomorrow.
Briefing the media, Piyush Goyal said that the farmers’ union representatives have put forward some positive suggestions, which will be beneficial for the farmers of Punjab and Haryana as well as the overall economy and consumers of the country.
“With new ideas and thoughts, we had a positive discussion with Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union and other farmer leaders… We had a detailed discussion on how to take forward the work of Prime Minister Modi in the last decade,” he said.
The agitating farmers from Punjab have raised several demands, including an ordinance on ensuring legal guarantees for MSPs and loan waivers.
The two sides – ministers and farmer leaders – had earlier met on February 8, 12 and 15, but the talks remained inconclusive.
The rally is taking place as thousands of farmers are camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of the Punjab-Haryana border, with layers of barricades and a large number of security personnel halting their march towards the national capital.
The non-political Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have issued a ‘Delhi Chalo’ appeal and urged the BJP-led Center to meet their demands. As they began their march to the national capital on Tuesday, farmers from Punjab were obstructed by security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points, located between Punjab and Haryana.
The protesting farmers have been camping at the Shambhu border near Ambala since the start of the march on Tuesday, February 13. The talks between the union ministers and leaders of various farmers’ organizations remained inconclusive; The fourth round of discussions is scheduled for today.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: February 19, 2024 | 7:05 am IST