Chandigarh, March 18:
The farmers delegation from twelve states today called on Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan at his residence here and urged the Speaker to convey farmers’ various demands to the union government.
Meeting them over the breakfast, Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhawan assured the farmers, who are marching from Kanyakumari to Delhi Parliament for fulfilling their demands that all possible assistance would be provided to convey their demands to the union government.
Notably, farmers have raised total 10 demands including profitable minimum support price for the crops, waiving off loan from the nationalized banks, cancellation of cases against farmers participating in farmers’ struggle at Delhi against the three agricultural laws, not to seize cultivable lands from the farmers without their consent, not to allow corporates in agricultural production & marketing and genetically modified seeds, inclusion of Indian farmers, local traders and small and medium scale business investors in marketing to bring market guarantee act, to take concerted action to protect the western ghats and natural resources to protect agriculture from climate change, not to reduce the subsidies on fertilizer, food and agricultural developments etc.
S. Sandhwan apprised the farmers about the work being done by the state government for the welfare of the farmers, including MSP of Rs.7275 per quintal on Moong to promote crop diversification, Rs.20 increase in Sugarcane price and the farmer-friendly agricultural policy which is being implemented up till March 31.
The farmer delegation also appreciated the pro-farmer schemes of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led government in the field of agriculture.
Pertinent to mention here that on March 2, farmers from twelve states started the Kisan Yatra from Kanyakumari pertaining to their demands. This Yatra has reached Chandigarh in its last phase passing through various states, which will be concluded at Delhi Parliament on March 20.
