Chandigarh, Dec 16 Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana on Monday said that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should follow his Haryana counterpart and promptly resolve the issues of protesting farmers.
“Since the Haryana Chief Minister is providing minimum support price (MSP) on all crops, the Punjab government should also follow the Haryana government’s policy in the interest of Punjab’s farmers,” the Agriculture Minister said in a statement.
The minister also expressed concerns over the deteriorating health of agitating farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. He said the Punjab government should take care of Dallewal’s health and efforts should be made so that he could end his hunger strike.
On the farmers’ call to resume the Delhi march on December 18, the minister said Punjab and Haryana are the biggest producers of foodgrains for the central pool and farmers of both states were getting the benefit of MSP.
He said the Punjab government should also ensure that all farmers of Punjab could sell their produce on MSP like they do in Haryana.
The Punjab Chief Minister should play his role and come forward to talk to the farmers so that they can return to their homes. The minister said the Supreme Court had already formed a committee of experts to resolve this issue but the farmer leaders did not attend the meeting with the committee appointed on this matter.
A day earlier, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav along with the director of Union Ministry of Home Affairs Mayank Mishra met farmer leader Dallewal, who is on fast unto death to press the Centre in support of their demands, enquired about his health and requested him to end his 20-day-long fast.
This has been the first meeting between the Union government and a farm leader since talks with farmers remained inconclusive in February.
The 70-year-old cancer patient Dallewal has been fasting at Khanauri, the border point between Punjab and Haryana, since November 26 in support of their long-pending demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops, loan waiver and reforms to improve conditions in the agricultural sector.
After meeting the farmer leader, Yadav told the media, “We came to enquire about the health of Dallewal.”
Without mincing words, he said, “We have heard whatever his (Dallewal) demands are. There was no proposal of any kind (over the demands). I came here to hear him and also for implementation of the Supreme Court order.”
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher has announced to halt trains in Punjab on December 18 to lodge their protest.
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