New Delhi, November 24
The Center said on Tuesday that it invited Punjab farmers’ unions to the second round of ministerial talks on December 3 to resolve differences over new agricultural laws.
The meeting comes after peasant leaders set a condition for another central ministerial meeting as they suspended their ‘rail roko’ agitation in Punjab on Monday and lifted the nearly two-month blockade, allowing the resumption of only freight trains.
Speaking to PTI, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said: “We have called the representatives of more than 30 farmers’ organizations for the second round of discussion on December 3 in Vigyan Bhawan at 11am.”
Read also: As trains resume in Punjab, farmers block rail traffic in Amritsar
The secretary has sent the invitation to farmers’ bodies on behalf of the Union Minister of Agriculture, Narendra Singh Tomar. Food Minister Piyush Goyal is also expected to be present at the meeting.
Officials from the Punjab government’s Food and Agriculture Departments were also invited to the talks.
The first round of talks was held on November 13, but it was inconclusive and both sides stood their ground.
Farmers in Punjab have been demanding the repeal of the new agricultural laws and their replacement by another set of laws formulated after broader consultation with stakeholders. They also demanded a guarantee from the MSP front, as they claimed that these new laws may lead to the end of minimum support price (MSP) acquisitions, which the Center has denied.
When asked about his lawsuit about MSP, the secretary said: “The previous laws also had no mention of MSP. Even the new farm laws don’t mention it. MSP is mentioned only in the National Food Safety Act (NFSA) which has not been amended. Until the Public Distribution System (PDS) is there, MSP will continue ”.
“The Prime Minister has also said this and even the Union Minister of Agriculture has said in Parliament that the MSP will continue,” he added. “We have explained in detail to the farmers’ unions about this issue. Hopefully, we will solve the problem with them at the meeting on December 3, ”he said. PTI
