Talks between farmer leaders, Centre remain inconclusive; next meeting on May 4

Chandigarh, Mar 19 (PTI) A fresh round of meeting between farmer leaders and a central delegation to discuss the formers' various demands remained inconclusive on Wednesday, even as the Union ministers attending the talks called the farmers' interests paramount.

During the meeting that lasted for more than three hours, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the talks would continue and the next meeting will be held on May 4.

"The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. The discussions took place in a positive and constructive manner. The talks will continue. The next meeting will take place on May 4," Chouhan said after the meeting.

However, he did not take any questions from the media.

The discussions revolved around the main demand for a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

The farmer leaders insisted that there would be no problem in implementing a law guaranteeing MSP (for crops).

They also raised the issue of some media reports suggesting that the US government was pressuring the government of India to remove import duty on agricultural products.

Besides Chouhan, Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal were also present at the meeting held at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26 here.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian and Food and Civil Supplies minister Lal Chand Kataruchak were also part of the meeting.

It was the seventh round of talks between the two sides since February last year.

Addressing the farmers, Chouhan reiterated the government's commitment to their welfare and recalled how it continued to make regular policy interventions to address the issues being faced by farmers across the country.

An official release said that various legal, economic and other dimensions of the farmers' demands were explored and highlighted during the meeting.

Based on the discussions, the government has decided to hold stakeholder consultations with farmer organisations across the country, as well as with the states and Union Territories, traders, exporters and the food processing industry, the statement said.

It has been decided to continue the talks in a positive spirit after the stakeholder consultations, it added.

The ministers assured the farmers that the government will continue to pay a patient ear to their concerns and those of the other stakeholders and act in the interest of the farmers.

"The interest of the farmers is paramount," the ministers assured the farmer leaders.

They also appealed to the farmer community to adopt the path of dialogue rather than protest, noting that solutions will emerge only from dialogues and discussions.

Speaking to the media, Punjab Finance Minister Cheema said the central ministers stressed that there was a need to study the data shared by the farmers in support of their demand for an MSP guarantee law.

"As in the last meeting, the farmers shared data in support of their demand for legal guarantee of MSP. The central ministers said there is a need for more study on this. As the law will be framed for the whole country, it is important to listen to the views of all the stakeholders.

"An official of the government of India has been assigned for this. In the coming time, views of all the stakeholders -- consumers, traders or organisations -- will be heard," Cheema said.

Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said Chouhan told them that the information shared by the farmers were discussed within the agriculture ministry.

The central delegation informed the farmers that some issues or problems may come up in the MSP guarantee law, while the farmer leaders made it clear that there would be no obstacles in the implementation of the same, Kohar said.

"They said some issues may come up and for a detailed discussion on those issues, the government needs some time. The government also said it wants to hold an inter-ministerial discussion. They will again sit with us after that," Kohar added.

The farmer leaders also asked the central delegation not to succumb to any pressure from the US for reducing import duty on agricultural items.

"We made it clear that if import duty on agricultural products was removed, it will be a death warrant for the farmers," Kohar said.

"It is the responsibility of the government of India to protect the interests of the farmers," he added.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, "They (the government) said if an MSP guarantee law is framed, some problems may come up. But we don't feel so. The government also said it wants to continue the talks." Ahead of the talks, Pandher said a 28-member delegation of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will take part in the meeting.

The two farmer bodies are spearheading the farmers' stir.

Stating that the farmers expected the government to resolve their issues, Pandher said, "We have come here with a positive mind. Some decisions should come out after the meeting. We expect that the deadlock over a law guaranteeing MSP will end and the talks will move forward." Earlier, veteran farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal reached the meeting venue in an ambulance.

Dallewal, who has been on an indefinite fast since November 26 last year and is on medical aid, said they were expecting a response from the Centre on the data presented by the farmers to support their demands.

The last meeting between the farmers and the central delegation was held here on February 22, which was attended by Chouhan, Joshi, and Goyal.

A meeting between a central team led by Joshi and farmers' representatives was held here on February 14 as well.

Before that, four rounds of talks took place between central ministers and protesting farmers in February 2024, but they remained inconclusive.

The protesting farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after security forces did not allow them to march to Delhi to press their demands. PTI CHS VSD ARI ARI

Source: PTI