Punjab farmers end protest after Bhagwant Mann govt accepts various demands

New Delhi: The Punjab farmers ended their agitation on Wednesday (May 18) after the Bhagwant Mann-led government accepted most of their demands, including dividing the state into two zones for paddy sowing from early June. The development came after representatives of farmer bodies held over two-and-a-half hours-long meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Chandigarh. The prominent demands of protesting farmers included a minimum support price (MSP) for the purchase of maize, basmati and moong (pulses), not to install electricity prepaid meters, and a compensation of Rs 500 per quintal for those who suffered losses due to early onset of early summer, IANS reported. 

Following the meeting, CM Mann announced a fresh schedule for staggered sowing of paddy on June 14 and June 17, thus reducing the total number of zones to two instead of four. Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal told the media that the Punjab CM has accepted their demand to divide the state into two zones for sowing of paddy instead of four.

"Now half of the state would be able to sow paddy from June 14, while the rest from June 17. We have been asked to divide the districts into two zones. Earlier, the government had ordered that the sowing would start from June 18 in a staggered manner in the four zones," he said.

Punjab CM also told the farmer leaders that the Punjab government has already issued a notification to procure the entire moong (green gram) crop at a minimum support price of Rs 7,275 per quintal.

Speaking about the meeting, Punjab Rural Development Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal told the agitating farmers at the protest site in Mohali that the huddle was “fruitful” and there was consensus on 12 out of their 13 demands. The farmers then agreed to end the protests and the decision was later announced by Bharti Kisan Union (Sidhupur) state president Jagjit Singh Dallewal. 

The AAP leader and Punjab CM urged the union leaders of 23 farmers` unions, under the umbrella of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, to provide him with at least one year to introduce farmer-friendly reforms in the agriculture sector, IANS reported. 

(With agency inputs)