Agri Min Tomar says 'Govt hopeful for solution by year-end' as farmers continue protest

As farmers continue to protest at Delhi's border, demanding rollback of Centre's Farm Laws, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday, said that the government is hopeful of resolving farmers' agitation by the year-end, as per PTI. This statement from Tomar comes after PM Modi's address to Madhya Pradesh farmers assuring continuance of Minimum support price (MSP), govt mandis and lucrativeness of farm agreements. The Prime Minister has also announced that he would address farmers again on December 25 - the birth anniversary of late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee - on the 3 Farm laws and initiate another instalment of direct benefit transfer (DBT) to farmer accounts.

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Tomar: 'Solution by year-end'

"Modi government is committed to address all genuine concerns of the farming community and it is willing to resume formal talks anytime. But there is no point talking to those shooting from peasants' shoulders," said Tomar. Tomar has held rounds of talks with delegations of protesting farmers, but has hit a roadblock as farmers have insisted on a complete rollback of the three laws.

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Farmers protest continue

Rejecting the Centre's proposed amendment to the three Farm Laws,  farmers have stayed firm on their demand of total repeal of the Farm acts, stating a 'lack of trust' on the Modi government. The farm union leaders were sent a 10-point proposal by the Centre assuring to give written guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), empowering states to create a law which will prevent misuse of traders' registration, continuing current electricity bill payment done by the government and amend the stubble burning penalty clause. While the Centre has been in talks to several other farm unions supporting the Laws, the protesting unions have retaliated by approaching the Supreme Court seeking a total repeal of the laws and a nationwide farm waiver.

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Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar wrote an 8-page letter highlighting the Farm Laws' benefits, proposing the amendments. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has offered to form a panel to facilitate the talks with farms to stop the protests and remove the blockade to Delhi highways. Punjab is the only state which has passed farms negating the Centre's laws, while Delhi has passed a resolution against it.

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(With PTI Inputs)