Meeting of farmers, govt inconclusive; next round of talks on Sunday

New Delhi: The protesting farmers stayed put in Punjab and Haryana's Shambu border as the third round of talks between the farmers' organisations and the government ended inconclusively on Friday. Both sides agreed to hold the next round of talks on Sunday.

Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai represented the Centre. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also present for the talks.

Addressing the media, Munda said the farmers had brought up several important issues, making the meeting very positive.

The farmers asked the government to give them a Minimum Support Price (MSP) guarantee for their crops until a law was implemented as per the recommendations of MS Swaminathan.

The farmers assured the government to hold peaceful protests till Sunday.
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), said, “We engaged in a detailed discussion, and the government acknowledged the need for dialogue on MSP and shared debts, committing to further discussions.”

Separately, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Youth and Sports Affairs, Anurag Singh said, "Third round of talks with farmer organisations was meaningful, will sit together again on Sunday. We will move towards resolving the issues."

Meanwhile, farmers staged protests in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh in response to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha's call for a Bharat Bandh.

People in Punjab faced inconvenience as buses stayed off the roads. Markets and commercial establishments at several places in the state also remained shut as the farmers held demonstrations and blocked national highways.

Haryana Police on Friday fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesting farmers when they moved towards the barricades at the Shambhu border near Ambala.

Meanwhile, a 63-year-old farmer who was protesting at the Shambhu border died of a heart attack.