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Govt proposes to form panel with farmers’ leaders to discuss contentious farm laws
The government made the proposal during a meeting with the leaders of 32 farmers’ unions at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi.
The Centre on Tuesday proposed to form a committee to discuss new agricultural laws during the meeting with farmers agitating against the contentious legislation, news agency ANI reported. The government asked farmers to give names of four to five leaders from their organisation who will become part of the committee which will also include representatives from the government.
The government made the proposal during a meeting with the leaders of 32 farmers’ unions at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. It also gave a detailed presentation to the farmers’ leaders on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act. Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, railways minister Piyush Goyal and minister of state for commerce Som Parkash are representing the government.
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Thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana are protesting against the three farm laws, passed by the Parliament in September. The agitating farmers are demanding the withdrawal of farm laws -- The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 -- as they fear that it will dismantle the entire Mandi system. They are demanding that they should get MSP whether inside or outside agricultural markets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the enactment of the farm laws. On Sunday, PM Modi blamed opposition-peddled “rumours” and “propaganda” for the farmers’ unrest in and at the borders of the national capital.
