Farmer leaders reject Central Government’s offer to buy 5 crops at MSP; to continue with 'Dilli Chalo' march on February 21

Chandigarh, February 19

Farmers leaders on Monday rejected the Centre’s proposal of buying pulses, maize and cotton at MSP by government agencies for five years, saying it was not in farmers’ interest.

A panel of three Union ministers—Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai—on Sunday gave the proposal to the farmers during the fourth round of talks in Chandigarh.

On Monday, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said, “After holding discussion (on the Centre’s proposal) in our two forums, it has been decided that the Centre’s proposal is not in the interest of farmers and we reject this proposal. The Union Government should take a decision and give us in writing. We will continue with ‘Dilli Chalo’ march on February 21”.

After the fourth round of talks with the farmers on Sunday night, Union minister Piyush Goyal said, “Cooperative societies like the National Cooperative Consumers Federation and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India will enter into a contract with farmers who grow ‘tur dal’, ‘urad dal’, ‘masoor dal’ or maize for buying their crop at MSP for next five years.”

“There will be no limit on the quantity (purchased) and a portal will be developed for this,” he had said.

Goyal had also proposed that the Cotton Corporation of India would buy cotton from farmers at MSP for five years after entering into a legal agreement with them.

Protesting farmers have been staying put at Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab’s border with Haryana after their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, was stopped by security forces which led to clashes last week.

Besides a legal guarantee of MSP, the farmers are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.