Centre offers setting up panel to explore issues raised by protesting farmers, asks union leaders to propose names

Centre offers setting up panel to explore issues raised by protesting farmers, asks union leaders to propose names

The proposed panel would also include agricultural experts and government representatives.

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Tuesday, December 01, 2020, 06:44 PM IST
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New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar during a meeting with leaders of various farmer organisations over the new farm laws | Photo via @AgriGoI on Twitter

New Delhi: The central government on Tuesday offered to set up a committee to look into the issues raised by farmers protesting against new farm laws, as three union ministers and senior officials met representatives of 35 agitating organisations.

News agency PTI, citing sources, reported that the farmer representatives were yet to respond to the offer from the government more than two hours into the meeting, but all of them were unanimous in seeking repeal of the three laws that they have been terming as being against the interest of the farm community.

The meeting between the farmers' leaders and the government has concluded. The next round of talks are to be held on December 3.

The union ministers have even asked the farmers' union leaders to nominate members to be a part of the proposed committee, that is aimed at examining the issues raised by the farmers.

"You give names of 4-5 people from your organizations and constitute a committee in which there'll be representatives from govt as well as agricultural experts to discuss new agricultural laws", government representatives were quoted by ANI.

The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the Centre's farm laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

The panel would also include agricultural experts and government representatives.

The government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.

For the meeting at Vigyan Bhawan here, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was accompanied by Railways and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, also an MP from Punjab.

"We are ready for a discussion to resolve their issues. Let's see," Tomar had told reporters as he arrived for the meeting.

He further said the government will arrive at a solution after hearing the representatives of the farmer organisations.

Heavy security arrangements were in place around the meeting venue. At the Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, a heavy police force have been deployed.

This is the third round of talks over the past few months which began with a meeting between the farmers and Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Aggarwal.

An earlier meeting on November 13 had failed to give any breakthrough and the next one was originally scheduled for December 3, but it got advanced due to the ongoing protests on Delhi borders.

It is expected that the talks will continue over a considerable period of time, as any immediate breakthroughs are not likely. The farmers have said that they will continue their agitation in and around the national capital until the government concedes to their demands.

Hours before the meeting, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Tomar and Goyal, along with BJP chief J P Nadda, had held marathon discussions over the farmers' protest against the Centre's new agriculture reform laws.

Sources said that for the past two days, the ministers have worked the phone lines and there have been backchannel talks to find a way forward.

They said various leaders from states who gave had a good rapport with the leadership of agitating farmers were also contacted.

Peaceful sit-ins by farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, continued at the Singhu and Tikri borders with no untoward incident reported after Friday's violence, while the numbers of protestors swelled at the Ghazipur border on Monday.

The farmers have been protesting against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The farmers are demanding a withdrawal of the laws that were passed in the Monsoon session of the Parliament.

The opposition parties too stepped up the pressure, asking the Centre to "respect the democratic struggle" of the farmers and repeal the laws.

(With inputs from agencies)

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