Decisive Meeting Scheduled Between Farmers and Government on May 4

Nationwide Implementation of Decisions Expected

Punjab Breaking News (Media House), Chandigarh. The sixth round of discussions between farmer representatives and the central government took place recently in Chandigarh, but no consensus was reached on the demands. A subsequent meeting is scheduled for May 4. The government has appointed a secretary-level official to gather suggestions from farmers nationwide regarding the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that the meeting was conducted in a positive atmosphere. He emphasized the importance of gathering feedback from all stakeholders on the report submitted by the farmers, as any decision regarding MSP will be applicable across the country. The seventh round of talks lasted nearly four hours but ended without any resolution.

Attendance of 28 Farmer Leaders and Central Ministers

The farmer delegation was led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Sarwan Singh Pandher from the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, comprising 28 leaders. Central ministers including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Prahlad Joshi, and Piyush Goyal, along with Punjab's Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddiyan and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, participated in the discussions. However, no outcomes were achieved. Punjab's Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema noted that a list of demands had been shared by the farmer unions in the previous meeting, which included data supporting their requests for MSP and other issues.

Punjab Police Clears Shambhu and Khanauri Borders

In a related development, the Punjab Police removed farmers from the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, which had been closed for approximately 13 months. This action raises hopes that both borders will be reopened for general traffic. On Wednesday, several farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, were detained by the police. Subsequently, law enforcement arrived at both borders to escort the protesting farmers back to their homes and dismantle the tents set up by them.