Farmers and Central Team to Meet Again for Talks on MSP and Other Demands
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been at the forefront of the farmers' protests.
Farmers and Centre Meeting Today Latest News: A new round of discussions between protesting farmers and a central government delegation will take place today, focusing on various demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, a prominent farmer leader, confirmed that a 28-member delegation from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will represent the farmers in the talks. He emphasized that the farmers are hopeful for a resolution to their ongoing issues.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been at the forefront of the farmers' protests.
The previous meeting between the farmers and the central delegation took place on February 22, with the presence of key figures such as Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. During that meeting, the government requested data from farmers to support their demand for a legal MSP guarantee before engaging in discussions with experts.
Farmers have estimated that a legal MSP guarantee would require an annual budget allocation of approximately Rs 25,000-30,000 crore.
Earlier, on February 14, a meeting was held between Union Minister Joshi and farmer representatives, following four rounds of inconclusive talks in February 2024.
Since February 13 last year, farmers have been protesting at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana after security forces prevented them from marching to Delhi. In addition to their demand for a legal MSP guarantee, farmers are seeking a debt waiver, pensions for farmers and farm laborers, no increase in electricity tariffs, the withdrawal of police cases against them, justice for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, the reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, and compensation for the families of farmers who died during previous protests in 2020-21.