As the farmers’ agitation against three farm laws entered its 27th day, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said Tuesday that he hopes the protesting unions will soon complete their internal discussions and resume talks with the government to resolve the crisis.
He met with two more peasant corps from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh who extended their support for the legislation.
“The representatives of different agricultural organizations had come to say that the laws are good and that they benefit the farmers. They had come to urge the government not to make any amendments to the laws, “Tomar said after meeting with the two groups.
“I am hopeful that (the protesting farmers unions) will soon complete their internal discussions and come forward for talks. We will be able to find a successful solution ”, said the minister.
The Agriculture Ministry had written to the protest groups on Sunday, urging them to specify their concerns about the government’s proposal and to finalize a date for the next round of talks to end the protests. At least five rounds of formal talks have failed to break the deadlock, as the agitators’ unions have agreed to nothing less than repeal of the laws.
UP-based Kisan Sangarsh Samithi (KSS) and Delhi-based Indian Kisan Union (IKU) are among the farmer groups that have extended their support for the laws in the past three weeks. The previous groups were from Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
However, almost 40 groups are mobilizing against the laws on various borders of Delhi.
Protestant groups have argued that the new laws will remove the minimum livelihood price (MSP) safety net, end the mandi (wholesale market) system, and leave them at the mercy of large corporations. The government has been saying that these apprehensions are misplaced. Rajya Sabha MP Surendra Singh Nagar, as well as former Uttarakhand Minister and IKU National Chairman Ramkumar Walia, were also present at Tuesday’s meeting.
“The three laws enacted by the Center are good and in the interest of the agricultural community,” KSS President Ajay Pal Pradhan told PTI after the meeting.
While supporting the laws, KSS also urged the minister to ensure that the acquisition continues at the minimum support price (MSP).
Pradhan claimed that thousands of farmers who have come in tractors in support of the laws have been detained at the border and therefore a select group has come to the meeting.
On its behalf to Tomar, KSS also requested the Center to implement the 2011-12 agreement signed between Gautam Buddha Nagar farmers with Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Development Authorities.
“Even after the High Court order, the development authorities are not implementing the agreement according to which the UP government had decided to hand over 10 percent of the developed lands to farmers whose lands were acquired for development and development. housing project, ”Pradhan said.
KSS further demanded that the government should notify only the amount of land that is required for development. In the Secunderabad industrial zone, 45 percent of the acquired land has been developed by industries and the remainder is still unused.
“The land was acquired in 1972, but only on paper, the industries become functional. No infrastructure has been developed. There are no adequate water and road facilities. Villagers are finding it difficult, ”said Secunderabad Block Pramuk Pushpendra Bhati.
KSS also demanded steps towards mandi modernization, the use of the mandi tax for mandi development, a scheme to reduce charges for tube wells and agricultural loans at a lower interest rate, among others.
“We have read the agricultural laws in detail and we are in favor of the farmers. We urge farmers not to be misled on this issue, ”said Walia.
The new farm laws will kill middlemen and give farmers options to sell their products, he added.
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