Haryana farmers defer stir after ‘cordial’ talks with govt
Comprising 14 leaders of farm unions, the SKM delegation said they pointedly raised the issue of legal guarantee on the minimum support price for crops.
Haryana’s farmer leaders, under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), on Sunday announced to defer their proposed agitation following productive discussions with the state government. The talks, held in a cordial atmosphere, saw both parties addressing and deliberating on every contentious issue at length.
The chief principal secretary (to CM), Rajesh Khullar, flanked by a battery of senior government officers, held the talks here with SKM representatives, led by Haryana president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Rattan Mann.
“The meeting was held in a very pleasant atmosphere. We discussed all the outstanding issues. We are hopeful that the government will respond to our charter of demands by August 15. In case the response of the government is not positive, we will convene a meeting to decide the future course of action. Till then we have decided to defer our agitation,” Mann said after the meeting that lasted nearly seven hours.
Comprising 14 leaders of farm unions, the SKM delegation said they pointedly raised the issue of legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Leaders said they gave a 30-point demand letter, seeking legal guarantee on the MSP, early disbursal of pending crop damage compensation, issues related to seed, etc.
“We understand that (chief principal secretary) Rajesh Khullar will submit a report to the state government after which a decision is expected on our demands,” said the BKU Haryana chief, adding that the issue pertaining to Shambhu border opening was not part of agenda. Farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Haryana and Punjab since February 13 when their march to Delhi over their demands was stopped by security forces.
The cultivators said that online registration and web portals should be removed in the purchase of crops in the state. They said in case of crop loss due to natural disasters, the process of compensating the farmers should be simplified by eliminating the hassle of online registration, etc.
As per the demand charter, the compensation for the kharif 2023 flood-affected districts and other waterlogged districts has not been fully distributed.
Various outfits from Haryana under the banner of SKM-Haryana were among the delegation, Mann added.