Moving forward in talks for the first time since farmers who oppose the new farm laws showed up on the doorstep of Delhi more than a month ago, the Center said on Wednesday that there had been “mutual consensus” on two of the four demands made by the farmer. unions. The two parties agreed to meet again on January 4.
The Center agreed to “decriminalize” stubble burning by excluding farmers from the scope of the ‘Commission for the Management of Air Quality in the National Capital Region and the 2020 Contiguous Areas Ordinance’, and eliminate the provisions of the project of the Electricity Amendment Act, 2020, which are intended to change the existing mode of payment of subsidies to consumers.
There was no progress in the demands to repeal the three recently enacted farm laws and provide legal guarantee on the MSP or minimum support price. These will be discussed when the two parties meet again next week.
Leaving the meeting, the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said: “There has been a mutual consensus (aapsi Razamandi) between the government and the farmers’ unions on two of the four issues that union leaders put up for your discussion at today’s meeting. “
He said union leaders wanted farmers to stay outside the scope of the Air Quality Management Ordinance.
“The government told them that we are aware of their concern and both parties have agreed on this matter,” he said. “His objections were related to the criminal action against the farmers, we will decriminalize it.”
On the electricity amendment bill, Tomar said: “The unions demanded that the existing system of energy subsidy paid by the state to consumers continue. A mutual consensus has also been reached on that demand. “
“There were four items on the agenda. Of these, aapsi carreramandi (mutual consensus) has been reached in two, or 50 percent. The meeting took place in a very pleasant atmosphere ”, he said.
“The unions have been demanding the repeal of the three farm laws and we have tried to tell them that the government is ready to discuss provisions that farmers have problems with,” he said.
“Similarly, on MSP, the government has been saying that the MSP will continue and the government is ready to deliver it in writing. We are firm on that, but believe that the MSP should get the (legal) guarantee. Therefore, discussions will continue regarding the laws and the MSP. We will meet again on January 4 and discuss these issues… I am hopeful that there will be a consensus between the government and the unions, and we can find a solution, ”said Tomar.
A ministerial committee, headed by Tomar and also composed of Food Minister Piyush Goyal and State Minister of Commerce and Industry Som Prakash, represented the government’s side in the talks, while farmers’ unions sent 41 representatives; this time, the addition was the 41st representative: BKU General Secretary Yaduveer Singh Malik.
The meeting, which started at 2.30 pm, ended at around 7 pm.
During the meeting, the sources said, government representatives proposed a commission to deliberate on farmers’ demands regarding the three agricultural laws. But the peasant leaders did not agree with the proposal.
Commenting on the outcome of the meeting, Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader Darshan Pal said: “The meeting is not 50 percent successful, it is only 25 percent successful, as consensus has emerged on two smaller issues, while the two most important issues remain unresolved. “
Joginder Singh Ugrahan, President of BKU (Ugrahan), said: “When we started the meeting, we had no hope, but as the talks progressed, they accepted two of our demands. However, our main demands for repeal of agricultural laws and purchase of crops in MSP are still pending. These will be discussed on January 4. Finally, something positive has come out of these conversations ”.
Jagmohan Singh Patiala, general secretary of BKU (Dakaunda) and member of the working committee of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), said: “The central government bows to public anger. This is why they have agreed to withdraw the proposed electricity law and also not include farmers in the criminal offenses provision of the Environment Ordinance. On January 4 they will talk about our main demands for the repeal of agricultural laws and purchase of crops in MSP. We are all united and determined… considering the positive gesture of the government, we have postponed the Samyukt Kisan Morcha tractor march until January 4 ”.
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