Farmers' Protest: Govt Ready To Give Written Assurance On MSP, Says Agri Minister Narendra Tomar

Tomar reiterated that it won’t affect the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) or Maximum Selling Price (MSP).

(Image: PTI)

New Delhi: A day after agitating farmers’ unions rejected government's draft proposal on amendments in farm laws, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday said that the government wanted to liberate the farmers from the shackles of the mandi system which will help them to sell their produce to anyone, anywhere, and at any price. “The government wanted to liberate the farmers of the shackles of mandi so that they could sell their produce anywhere, to anyone, at his own price, outside the purview of mandi,” Tomar said while addressing media. The Agriculture Minister said that farmers want the new laws to be repealed, but the government is open for discussions if any provision is objectionable. Tomar reiterated that it won’t affect the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) or Maximum Selling Price (MSP). "The government is ready to consider with an open mind any provision in the new laws where farmers have any issues and we want to clarify all their apprehensions," Tomar said at a press conference in the national capital. "We kept waiting for suggestions from farmers' leaders to address their concerns, but they are stuck on the repeal of laws," he said, while virtually ruling out conceding to the key demand with which thousands of farmers are protesting on various borders of the national capital for nearly two weeks. Further extending proposal of talks with the agitating farmer, Agriculture Minister again said that government has always been ready for dialogue with farmers and it remains so. "We are concerned about the farmers protesting in cold weather and during the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers' unions should consider the government's proposal at the earliest and then we can mutually decide on the next meeting, if required," the minister added. The government fad on Wednesday proposed to give a "written assurance" that the existing Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime for procurement will continue. However, the farmers' unions rejected the proposal and said they would intensify their agitation until the government accepts their demand for a complete repeal of the three laws. The government has also proposed to make necessary amendments on at least seven issues, including one to allay fears about the weakening of the mandi system. Meanwhile, agitation by farmers camping on the Delhi borders since November 26 to demand repeal of the new agricultural laws continued for the 15th day on Thursday, with peasant leaders adamant on intensifying the protests further. After rejecting the central government's proposal to amend the new laws, the parleys of farmer leaders with the Centre seem derailed at the moment and no new initiative is forthcoming in this direction. Farmer leaders sitting on a dharna on the Singhu border on the Delhi-Ambala route said that their protest will last until the Centre withdrew all three agricultural laws. The Centre and the protesting farmers have so far held five rounds of talks and the sixth round scheduled in Delhi for December 9 was cancelled. A meeting of a delegation of farmer leaders with Union Home Minister Amit Shah remained inconclusive on December 8.