Minister discusses Punjab agriculture policy with farmers’ unions

The measures proposed in the policy include promoting crop diversification, providing a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP), offering one-time debt settlements for farmers, introducing a pension plan for small farmers and farm workers, implementing special debt waivers for small and marginal farmers, among other initiatives.

Punjab agriculture and farmers welfare minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Wednesday met a delegation of farmer unions to discuss the Punjab agriculture policy and sought their suggestions for the same. He also informed them that the state government has already cancelled 25 FIRs filed against farmers in Punjab.

Punjab agriculture and farmers welfare minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian also informed them that the state government has already cancelled 25 FIRs filed against farmers in Punjab. (HT File)

Assuring he farmer unions’ leaders that some more FIRs are also under process for cancellation, Khudian, along with chief secretary Anurag Verma, special DGP law and order Arpit Shukla and other senior state government officials, held detailed discussions with BKU (Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union leaders at Punjab Bhawan here on Wednesday.

BKU (Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan led a delegation that included Jora Singh Nasrali, Lachman Sewewala, Jhanda Singh Jethuke and Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan attended the meeting. They lauded the chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government for drafting a comprehensive Punjab agriculture policy aimed at addressing longstanding agrarian issues. The measures proposed in the policy include promoting crop diversification, providing a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP), offering one-time debt settlements for farmers, introducing a pension plan for small farmers and farm workers, implementing special debt waivers for small and marginal farmers, among other initiatives.

The agriculture minister assured the farmer leaders that their suggestions regarding the agriculture policy have been acknowledged and will be considered carefully. He stated that after consulting with the departments concerned, the policy will be finalised soon.

While urging the concerned officials to promptly address the attendance issue of MGNREGA workers, the minister also directed the concerned officials to finalise the modalities for introducing a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme for farmers who are struggling to repay loans to cooperative banks.