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Union ministers, farmer leaders hold fourth round of talks
Updated On: 19 February, 2024 08:35 AM IST | Chandigarh | PTI
At the Ladhowal plaza in Ludhiana, farmers shouted slogans against the Centre and the Haryana government. The Haryana government on Saturday extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk SMS services in seven districts till February 19
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Farmer leaders before a meeting with Union Ministers amid their ongoing protest over various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, in Chandigarh. Pic/PTI
A panel of Union ministers held a fourth round of talks with farmer leaders on Sunday over their demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP, as thousands of protesting farmers camped at the Punjab-Haryana border. Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai reached the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26 for the talks. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also joined the meeting, which began at 8.15 pm on Sunday and ended at around 1 am on Monday. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Goyal said the panel has proposed the buying of pulses, maize, and cotton crops by government agencies at minimum support prices for five years after entering into an agreement with farmers. The farmer leaders said they will discuss the government`s proposal in their forums over the next two days and thereafter, decide the future course of action. "Cooperative societies like the NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers Federation) and NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) will enter into a contract with those farmers who grow `tur dal`, `urad dal`, `masoor dal` or maize for buying their crop at MSP for next five years," said Goyal.
"There will be no limit on the quantity (purchased) and a portal will be developed for this," he added. It will save Punjab`s farming, improve the groundwater table, and save the land from getting barren which is already under stress, Goyal said. On the Centre`s proposal, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, "We will discuss in our forums on February 19-20 and take the opinion of experts regarding it and accordingly take a decision." A discussion on loan waivers and other demands is pending and we hope that these will be resolved in the next two days, Pandher said, adding that the `Delhi Chalo` march is currently on hold, but will resume at 11 am on February 21 if all the issues are not resolved. The Union ministers and farmer leaders had met earlier on February 8, 12 and 15 but the talks remained inconclusive. Protesting farmers from Punjab have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri points on the state`s border with Haryana since February 13 when their `Delhi Chalo` march was halted by police. The call for the march was given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha to press their demands.
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