The Centre has sought five names from the Samkyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) to be included in a committee for discussion on a host of issues, including MSP, and the umbrella body of farmer unions will decide those in its December 4 meeting.
"Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) confirms that there was a telephone call from the Government of India to a Punjab farmer union leader, wherein the Government wanted five names to be suggested from SKM's side for a committee," the SKM, which is an umbrella body of 41 farmer unions, said.
"However, we have received no written communication and no details are available so far about what this Committee is about, its mandate, or Terms of Reference. In the absence of such details, it would be premature to comment on this issue," it added.
The move comes a day after both Houses of Parliament passed a Bill to repeal the three contentious farm laws against which farmers have been protesting for a year.
In a statement on Tuesday, the SKM clarified that its meeting to discuss the pending demands and to decide the future course of the farmers' movement will be held on December 4 instead of Wednesday.
The SKM, an umbrella body of over 40 farm unions, has been spearheading the farmers' movement against the three farm laws and their other demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that a committee would be formed to take decisions on the subjects of promoting zero budgeting-based agriculture, changing crop patterns as per the changing needs of the country, and making MSP more effective and transparent.
He announced this during his address to the nation in which he also stated that the government has decided to repeal the three farm laws, which were at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year.
The prime minister had said the committee will have representatives from the Central and state governments, farmers, agricultural scientists and agricultural economists.
On Monday, representatives of farmer unions of Punjab had said an emergency meeting of the SKM has been called on Wednesday to decide the future course of action.
The SKM, however, clarified, "All constituent organisations of SKM will take stock of the situation and decide the next steps of the farmers' struggle on December 4, as announced earlier. The date of this SKM meeting remains unchanged." It said the meeting will take place at Singhu border points. Various points raised in the letter to the prime minister earlier will be discussed and future decisions will be taken.
Farmer unions from Haryana will convene a meeting on Wednesday to discuss pending demands and other issues, the statement said.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI)
