<p>Leaders of 29 farmers’ unions from Punjab on Wednesday stormed out of a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal after “unsatisfactory discussion” over the three new farm sector laws that have angered farmers in the state.</p>.<p>The delegation of farmers’ leaders submitted a memorandum to Agarwal demanding the repeal of the three farm sector law enacted by the Centre, make MSP a legal right for all crops and implement the Swaminathan Commission report recommendations on higher MSP to farmers.</p>.<p>A delegation of 50 leaders reached Krishi Bhawan on Wednesday of which a smaller team of seven members met Agarwal.</p>.<p>However, the leaders were upset at the Centre’s approach of listing out the virtues of the three laws, instead of hearing out the concerns voiced by farmers’ organisations.</p>.<p>“We were not here to listen to the virtues of the Act. We expected the government to hear our concerns. Moreover, we expected the minister to be present at the meeting and not a government official,” Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who heads a faction of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, told <em>DH</em>.</p>.<p>He said the Union Ministers were touring Punjab speaking against the farmers who were agitating against the three laws, but have not found time to meet us in Chandigarh.</p>.<p>Farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws will pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporates.</p>.<p>The Agriculture Ministry, in a statement, said that representatives of 29 farmers’ unions from Punjab had a two-hour meeting with the Agriculture Secretary.</p>.<p>“At the end of this meeting, two memoranda on behalf of the Farmers' Unions were given to the Secretary,” the ministry statement said.</p>
<p>Leaders of 29 farmers’ unions from Punjab on Wednesday stormed out of a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal after “unsatisfactory discussion” over the three new farm sector laws that have angered farmers in the state.</p>.<p>The delegation of farmers’ leaders submitted a memorandum to Agarwal demanding the repeal of the three farm sector law enacted by the Centre, make MSP a legal right for all crops and implement the Swaminathan Commission report recommendations on higher MSP to farmers.</p>.<p>A delegation of 50 leaders reached Krishi Bhawan on Wednesday of which a smaller team of seven members met Agarwal.</p>.<p>However, the leaders were upset at the Centre’s approach of listing out the virtues of the three laws, instead of hearing out the concerns voiced by farmers’ organisations.</p>.<p>“We were not here to listen to the virtues of the Act. We expected the government to hear our concerns. Moreover, we expected the minister to be present at the meeting and not a government official,” Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who heads a faction of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, told <em>DH</em>.</p>.<p>He said the Union Ministers were touring Punjab speaking against the farmers who were agitating against the three laws, but have not found time to meet us in Chandigarh.</p>.<p>Farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws will pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporates.</p>.<p>The Agriculture Ministry, in a statement, said that representatives of 29 farmers’ unions from Punjab had a two-hour meeting with the Agriculture Secretary.</p>.<p>“At the end of this meeting, two memoranda on behalf of the Farmers' Unions were given to the Secretary,” the ministry statement said.</p>
