MSP Guarantee: During the fourth session of talks with farmers in Chandigarh, the Union government made a major proposal for the first time. They proposed that, in accordance with a formal agreement with farmers, government agencies would buy three different kinds of pulse crops, maize, and cotton at a minimum support price (MSP) for a period of five years.
Cooperative organizations including the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) will enter into an agreement to purchase goods from farmers at MSP for the ensuing five years, according to announcements made by Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. There won’t be a cap on the amount they can buy. The meeting was also attended by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai and Union Minister of Agriculture Arjun Munda.
5 Crops at MSP: The new idea was not what the farmers had hoped for, so they were taken aback. They had been advocating for an MSP bill that would formally guarantee prices for all 23 crops, which are chosen annually by the Union government. The farmers rejected the most recent plan from the Union administration as a result. Rather, they told the ministers that they would debate it in their groups over the course of the following two days and then make a decision.
The new idea was not what the farmers had hoped for, so they were taken aback. They had been advocating for an MSP bill that would formally guarantee prices for all 23 crops, which are chosen annually by the Union government. The farmers rejected the most recent plan from the Union administration as a result. Rather, they told the ministers that they would debate it in their groups over the course of the following two days and then make a decision.
Pandher went on to say, “Our ‘Delhi Chalo’ movement will continue from February 21 if we don’t see a definite resolution in the next two days. In addition to MSP, we have additional requests.”
Since the start of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on February 13, protestors have been positioned along the borders between Punjab and Haryana, more precisely at the Shambhu barrier and Khanauri border points.
Haryana’s farmer unions had been largely silent until February 18. On that day, however, the chief of Haryana BKU (Chaduni), Gurnam Singh Chaduni, who was instrumental in the 2020 farm protests, told reporters that if the talks between the Union government and Punjabi farmers’ organizations did not produce results, the group would join the widespread agitation.
For the next three days, the Punjab branch of the original SKM group has chosen to hold day and nighttime large-scale rallies in front of the homes of BJP MPs, MLAs, ministers, and district presidents. The demonstration is scheduled to start on February 20 at 10 a.m. and end on February 22 at 5 p.m.
Furthermore, the SKM declared in a press release on Sunday that they will hold a general assembly the next day after their national coordination committee meeting in Delhi on February 21 at 2:00 PM. The purpose of these gatherings is to evaluate the state of affairs and devise measures for stepping up the protests in the future.
The statement emphasized that the Union administration has not fulfilled the promises it made when it withdrew from the farmers’ protest. The ‘cost and 50%’ model-based MSP decisions, guaranteed procurement, all-inclusive debt forgiveness programs, and the guarantee against electricity privatization are a few examples of these.
One of the biggest farmers’ groups in Punjab, BKU Ugrahan, staged a protest on Saturday and Sunday outside the residences of BJP state president Sunil Jakhar in Abohar, Captain Amarinder Singh in Patiala, and Kewal Dhillon in Barnala.
Congressman Navjot Singh Sidhu expressed his support for the farmers’ demands on Sunday. Furthermore, the internet outage in seven Haryanan districts has been prolonged until February 24. In a similar vein, Punjab’s six districts are presently without internet service.
VIDEO | “We cannot call it a resolution, but the government has come up with a proposal (on MSP) in a positive way. We will discuss that proposal with our forums and experts and only then, we will come to any conclusion,” says SKM (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on… pic.twitter.com/PG4rsIOkUH
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 18, 2024
#WATCH | Chandigarh: General Secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Sarvan Singh Pandher says, “…We will have discussions on the proposal by the govt in the next two days…The govt will also deliberate on the other demands…We will continue with the ‘Delhi… pic.twitter.com/uHXlrQywR8
— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2024
#WATCH | Chandigarh: Union Minister Piyush Goyal says, “…The Cotton Corporation of India will enter a 5-year legal agreement with farmers to buy the crop at MSP…” pic.twitter.com/8tWRptrZE8
— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2024
Union Minister Piyush Goyal
VIDEO | Here’s what Union Minister Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) said after fourth round of talks with farmers concludes in Chandigarh.
“Today, we had a very positive and long discussion with representatives of farmers. The discussions were held in a very good environment and we… pic.twitter.com/CwT6sDWus4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 18, 2024
#WATCH | Chandigarh: Union Minister Piyush Goyal says, “…The Cotton Corporation of India will enter a 5-year legal agreement with farmers to buy the crop at MSP…” pic.twitter.com/8tWRptrZE8
— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2024
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