The seventh round of talks between the protesting farmers and a central delegation today to discuss their various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, also remained inconclusive. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal etc. were present in this meeting.
The seventh round of talks between farmer leaders and the central delegation concluded on Wednesday. After this meeting, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the next meeting will be held on May 4. Talks were held to discuss various demands raised by the farmers, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
What did Shivraj Singh Chouhan say after the meeting?
After the meeting, Chouhan said that positive discussions were held with the farmer leaders in a cordial atmosphere. The talks will continue. The next meeting will be held on May 4. Apart from Chouhan, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also attended the meeting held at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26 here.
Harpal Singh Cheema also attended the meeting
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddiyan also attended the meeting. Before the talks, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that a 28-member delegation of the United Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) would attend the meeting. Both farmer organizations are leading the farmers’ movement.
Pandher said farmers are hopeful that the government will resolve their issues, “We have come here with a positive mindset. Some decisions should come out after the meeting. We hope that the deadlock over the law guaranteeing MSP will end and the talks will move forward.
Dallewal arrived in an ambulance for the meeting
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite hunger strike over the farmers’ demand, came in an ambulance. He said they are expecting the Centre’s response to the data submitted by the farmers in support of their claims.
The last meeting between the farmers and the central delegation was held here on February 22. The meeting was attended by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. In the last meeting, the central team had sought data from farmers to support their claims for a legal guarantee of MSP for discussion with experts.
