Farmers end stir after Punjab CM’s assurance on agri policy
The farmers, who were protesting against the delay in the implementation of the state’s new agriculture policy, took the decision at a meeting here a day after their two-hour meeting with chief minister Bhagwant Mann, who assured them that a draft of the policy would be shared with them by September 30 for their perusal and suggestions.
Punjab farmers protesting under the banner of Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union on Friday ended their five-day agitation in Chandigarh.
The farmers, who were protesting against the delay in the implementation of the state’s new agriculture policy, took the decision at a meeting here a day after their two-hour meeting with chief minister Bhagwant Mann, who assured them that a draft of the policy would be shared with them by September 30 for their perusal and suggestions. The chief minister also promised to incorporate their suggestions in the policy before its implementation.
Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan told reporters that they had decided to call off their protest for now as the state government promised to finalise the agriculture policy and share it with them by September 30.
“The objective of this protest has been achieved. We will wait till the end of this month for the government to hand over the draft policy. If the state government fails to keep its word, we will hold a meeting and come back here with a bigger protest,” said Ugrahan, who led the protesting farmers’ march to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday to press their demands.
The farmers started moving out of the Sector 34 exhibition ground in Chandigarh in their trucks and tractor-trolleys at around 2:30 pm. “We left in the afternoon, and our stay in Chandigarh was peaceful,” Ugrahan said.
The five-day sit-in protest had raised concerns regarding the traffic movement and sanitation around Sector 34, an educational and commercial hub. On the second day of their protest, farmers had marched from Sector 34 to Matka Chowk to hand over a demand letter to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, urging the Punjab government to review their demands. The march, though peaceful, created significant disruptions in the city, leading to traffic jams.
Ugrahan further said the chief minister had assured that most of their demands would figure in the agriculture policy as the government did not want to impose any decision on farmers. “We will go through the draft policy, call a meeting and then decide the next course of action,” he added.
The farmers’ other demands included the promotion of chemical-free crops, compensation to the families of farmers who committed suicide, and curbing the drug problem in the state, Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union general secretary Lachhman Singh Sewewala had earlier said.
During the chief minister’s meeting with the farmer leaders on Thursday, the government informed them that a 1600-page draft of the agriculture policy will be given to them. The meeting was also attended by finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and power minister Harbhajan Singh. The state cabinet also held a discussion on the need to formulate a robust agriculture policy to give a boost to food production in the state.