Farmers protest: ‘Positive discussions’ held but no breakthrough after talks with Centre; next meet on Sunday
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New Delhi, Feb 16: With the third meeting between Union Ministers and the farmer leaders being held on Thursday, the meeting ended in a stalemate, with no breakthrough. However, the next round of the talks will take place on Sunday.
After the meeting concluded, Union Minister Arjun Munda said that the third round of talks with the leaders of the protesting farmers was, however, "positive". "Today, a very positive discussion happened between the government and the farmers' unions. Focusing on the topics highlighted by the farmers' union, we have decided that the next meeting will take place on Sunday at 6 pm... We all will find a solution peacefully...," Munda said.
The third round of talks between the Union ministers and the 14 farmer union leaders concluded after around five hours. Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, and Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, represented the central government at the meeting. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was also present at the meeting.
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Amid the protest, two key border points between Delhi and Haryana remained closed for traffic, while security personnel in anti-riot gear conducted drills and mock exercises to ensure their fool-proof preparation. The Delhi Police has ordered more than 30,000 teargas shells from the Border Security Force's (BSF) Tear Smoke Unit, officials said.
Farmers protest: No breakthrough in talks with Centre; next meet on Sunday
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Earlier, protesting farmers from Rajpura in Punjab's Patiala were sitting on rail tracks and blocking trains at Rajpura Railway Station as part of their protest, which has escalated ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Farmers' Protest
The farmers have put forth 12 demands before the central government for which they're marching to Delhi. The protest this time has been called by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.
According to the protesting farmers, the centre promised them better crop prices, after which they ended the 2021 protest. They are demanding to enact a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission report. They are also demanding a complete debt waiver and a scheme to provide pensions to farmers and farm labourers.
Also Read: "We have to bring graph of Modi down": Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal exposes political agenda behind Farmers Protest
The farmers have also urged to scrap the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 and are demanding to reintroduce the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, ensuring consent from farmers and compensation at four times the collector rate.
Further, they are demanding to punish those involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri killings.
An appeal to provide 200 days of employment per year and a daily wage of Rs 700 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA), linking it with farming, has also been made by the farmers. Also, they have demanded compensation to the families of farmers who died during the protests in 2021 and a job for any family member.