Khudian invites farmers protesting in Chandigarh for talks

The Punjab agriculture minister met the office-bearers of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union and accepted their memorandum.

Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Monday invited farmers protesting in Chandigarh for talks with the government.

Farmers during their protest at Matka Chowk in Chandigarh on Monday. (Ravi Kumar/Hindustan Times)

He met the office-bearers of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union and accepted their memorandum.

“We will wait for till September 4 when the Vidhan Sabha session adjourns and analyse what the government has to offer us. We will announce further action plan accordingly,” said Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, general secretary of the BKU (Ugrahan).

About a thousand farmers marched on Monday from Sector 34 to Matka Chowk in Chandigarh to press for their demands and handed over a memorandum to Khudian.

Farmers under the banner of the BKU (Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union on Sunday began a five-day protest to press for their demands.

The protesting farmers and farm labourers are demanding an elaborate agriculture policy, waiver of entire debt on farmers, equitable distribution of land to farmers who have been rendered landless due to debt, ₹10 lakh compensation and a government job to the kin of farmers who have committed suicide due to debt, a plan for crop diversification and minimum support price on all crops.

The minister assured farmers their welfare remains the topmost priority for the state government.

He said farmers’ demands would be discussed with the chief minister.