Government opens talks with farmers; MSP on table

The government on Tuesday opened a dialogue with farmers to discuss and resolve outstanding issues including anxieties around minimum support price.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met farmers' delegations and leaders in the opening round of talks which he pledged to transform into a prolonged and credible discussion series until farmers' issues are addressed.

“Suggestions related to strengthening of the MSP regime have come. We will look into them,” promised Chouhan who has now decided to meet farmer delegations from all over the country on every Tuesday.

Today was the first round of talks, Chouhan said, adding that farmers raised issues pertaining to crop insurance scheme coverage and MSP.

“We have said service of the farmers is like worship of Gods for us,” the minister said at a time when farmers at the Haryana and Punjab Shambhu border have agitated for statutory status to MSP for over 200 days.

Bhartiya Kisan Union apolitical representatives from UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra attended the meeting.

Speaking to The Tribune, Dharamvir Malik, national spokesperson BKU Arajnaitik said, “We had a long meeting where we flagged four issues -- weak MSP regime, decreasing coverage under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Fasal Bima Scheme and financial loss to farmers due to import of farm products. The minister assured resolution and we have given a range of suggestions including asking him to hold separate state level dialogue on each of the four concerns.”

Malik said none of the representatives of farmer unions sitting at Shambhu border were part of today's talks.

“We appeal to both agitating farmer unions and the government to have a dialogue. That's the only way forward,” BKU leader said adding that the union was hopeful of an early solution to the MSP issue.

The meeting with around 50 farmer leaders took place at ICAR's PUSA complex in Delhi.