COURTESY HT NOV 13

Punjab farmers to meet 2 Union ministers today
HT Correspondents

letterschd@hindustantimes.com

Chandigarh/Amritsar : Three spokespersons of farmer bodies from Punjab will meet Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar (agriculture) and Piyush Goyal (railways) in New Delhi on Friday to end the ‘economic blockade’ due to suspension of freight trains to the state.

Farmer leaders said repeal of the Centre’s three agri laws and resumption of trains to the state top their agenda for the meeting.

Representatives of 30 farmer unions unanimously decided to attend the meeting in Chandigarh on Thursday, two days after an invitation was received for the meeting called to resolve the issues with the farm organisations.

Farmers have been protesting since September 24 after Centre passed the farm laws for reforms in the agrarian sector, which the farmer bodies claim that they go against their interests.

Three farm leaders Dr Darshan Pal, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Kulwant Singh Sandhu have been nominated as spokespersons. “Resumption of freight trains, repeal of new laws passed to guarantee of minimum support price to crops, assured and open-ended procurement of food grains are our main demands,” said Darshan Pal who heads the Krantikari Kisan Union.

However, Majha-centered Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) decided to stay away from the meeting. “The Centre has not invited all the farmer organisations of the country. Not recognising the protests by farmers from other states is not acceptable,” said Swaran Singh Pandher, an office-bearer of Satnam Singh Pannu-led outfit.

A letter from secretary, agriculture, Sudhanshu Panday, inviting the union leaders for talks with Tomar and Goyal was sent to the farmer unions of Punjab on Wednesday evening.

President of Bharatiya Kisan Union-Ekta (Dakonda) Buta Singh Burjgill said they also reviewed the preparations for Delhi-Chalo programme slated for November 26 and 27.

He said at least 500 farm organisations from across the country are expected to take part in the Delhi protest. He also condemned the Delhi Police decision to deny permission for the event