Agriculture Minister Tomar invites farmers for talks

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 26

Amid palpable tension in the National Capital Region over farmers ‘Dilli Chalo’ resolve, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday again blamed the agitation on “politics” and invited farmers for talks, assuring a “positive outcome”.  

Meanwhile, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) said “more than 50,000 farmers will be standing at the Delhi border by today evening”. 

“The numbers are expected to swell through the night as thousands of tractors and trolleys are carrying farmers, women and children from interior areas of Punjab,” a statement by farmers’ coordination body said.

As farmers from Punjab marched to Delhi to protest the Centre’s three agriculture acts, Tomar appealed to them to not agitate and come for talks on December 3 to resolves differences. “I want to appeal to our farmer brothers to not agitate. We are ready to talk about issues and resolve differences. I am sure that our dialogue will have a positive result. “The new farm laws are the need of the hour. In the coming time, they are going to bring revolutionary changes. We have spoken at the secretary level in Punjab to dispel wrong notions of our farmer brothers there. We will talk on December 3,” he added. 

While farmers are demanding a law on MSP, the Agriculture Ministry said of the total purchase of 307.03 LMT this season, Punjab alone contributed 202.53 LMT (which is 65.96 % of total procurement) under the existing MSP scheme. 

“Paddy procurement for Kharif 2020-21 is continuing smoothly in the procuring States and UTs of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra with purchase of over 307.03 LMTs of paddy up to November 25 against the last year corresponding purchase of 259.41 LMT showing an increase of 18.35 % over last year. Out of the total purchase of 307.03 LMT, Punjab alone has contributed 202.53 LMT which is 65.96 % of total procurement,” officials said. 

Meanwhile, slamming the “inhuman, anti-people, RSS-BJP Haryana Government”, farmers’ organisations said in Uttar Pradesh a huge gathering of more than 2,000 farmers was stopped at Bilaspur turn, Rampur. “The UP police prevented them from moving to Delhi, however, they are staying put on the Nainital–Delhi highway and waiting to be allowed to move ahead. The standoff near Agra, where farmer leaders Medha Patkar, Pratibha Shinde and others have been prevented from moving continues,” they said.