Farmers' Protest To Be Called Off? SKM To Decide In Key Meet Today As Centre Sends 5 Proposals

In its proposal, the Centre has clarified its stand on Minimum Support Price, withdrawal of cases against the protesters and the electricity bill.

New Delhi: A five-member committee of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will decide on Wednesday on ending the year-long farmers agitation after the Centre sent five proposals on sticky issues, including MSP.

In its proposal, the Centre has clarified its stand on Minimum Support Price, withdrawal of cases against the protesters and the electricity bill. The government said it would form a committee to look into the demand for a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) and the panel would include farmer organisations, government officials and representatives of states.

According to sources, 90 per cent of farmer outfits of Punjab were satisfied with the proposal of the government. Kulwant Singh Sandhu, a prominent farmer leader, has claimed that a consensus had been arrived at and "nearly all demands" had been met, PTI reported.

 

"Government's proposal says after we end the movement, then only will they withdraw cases (against farmers). We are apprehensive about it. The govt should immediately begin the procedure. Final decision to be taken at tomorrow's meeting at 2 pm," the Samyukt Kisan Morcha said.

BKU leader Gurnam Singh Charuni said the Centre should follow the Punjab model while giving compensation to the kin of over 700 deceased farmers. 

"We want the Centre to follow Punjab model. Rs 5 lakh compensation and a job as announced by Punjab govt should be implemented by Govt of India as well," ANI quoted Gurnam Singh Charuni as saying.

Despite the withdrawal of the three farm laws by the Centre, farmers had continued with their protest over pending demands. On November 29, a bill was passed in Parliament to repeal the three laws.

Farmers had demanded a legal guarantee on MSP for crops, compensation to the kin of the farmers who died during the agitation and the withdrawal of cases against the protesters. 

Last week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to a senior farmer leader over phone.

Braving the summer heat and chilly winter, thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, like Singhu and Tikri, since November 26, 2020.