New Delhi: The Union Government has invited farmer unions from Punjab for the second round of ministerial talks on December 3 to resolve differences over the new agriculture laws.
The first round of meeting took place on November 13. It was attended by Union minister for Agriculture Narinder Singh Tomar and Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal.
The call for the meeting comes after farmer leaders laid a condition for another central ministerial meeting while calling off their 'rail roko' agitation in Punjab on Monday and lifted the nearly two-month-long blockade, allowing resumption of only goods trains.
"Agriculture ministry officials have confirmed that invitation has been extended by the government to farmers for second round of meeting. Invitation was extended for November 21 as well. The previous meeting on November 13 was inconclusive. The government and farmer organisations had agreed to carry forward the talks. Both parties know that it can be solved only with table talks and we are hopeful about this meeting," Punjab BJP leader Vijay Sampla said.
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In a telephonic conversation with ETV Bharat, Baldev Singh Rajewal, President Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) said, "We have not decided anything on this invitation so far. Farmer leaders in Haryana are being detained and Haryana Government has ordered to seal Punjab-Haryana borders to stop us from reaching Delhi for November 26. No invite was given for November 21."
The government has also invited officials from the food and agriculture departments of the Punjab government for the talks. At the previous meeting, Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Punjab Aniruddh Tiwari and Commissioner (Agriculture) Punjab Balwinder Singh Sidhu were present.
Farmers from Punjab have been demanding the repeal of the new farm laws and replacing them with another set of laws framed after wider consultation with stakeholders. They also demanded a guarantee on the MSP front, as they claimed that these new laws may lead to the end of MSP procurement, which the Centre has denied.
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