Centre renews talks offer as farmers block key expressway

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday renewed the offer for talks with farmers opposing the three farm laws, even as the protestors began the 24-hour blockade of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway skirting the national capital.

Farmers squatted on some stretches of the 136-km long expressway in Haryana throwing goods traffic out of gear. Some places such as Tewasan in Haryana witnessed some tense moments as the state police forcibly tried to remove the farmers from the expressway.

The 24-hour blockade of the expressway received a mixed response, particularly at Dasna on the eastern fringes of the national capital, where farmers have been camping for the past 135 days demanding the repeal of the three farm laws.

Also Read | Tomar appeals to farmers to call off protest, says govt ready for talks

As the Covid-19 pandemic raged through the national capital, Tomar issued a fresh appeal to the farmers to suspend their agitation and resume talks with the government by submitting a fresh proposal.

“The government is ready for a discussion whenever they come with a proposal,” said the agriculture minister, who has led the 11-rounds of talks with the farmers that have proved inconclusive.

At the same time, Tomar made it clear that there was no dissatisfaction among farmers over the three laws in the rest of the country.

“A large number of farmers’ organisations have expressed their support to the farm laws while a few were opposed to it,” the minister said.

He said the government had offered to suspend the laws for 18 months, a proposal that was welcomed by many but rejected by the farmers who have been protesting at Delhi’s borders.

The Supreme Court too had set up a committee to listen to the grievances of agitating farmers and the views of the government and make recommendations.

The Committee comprising farm sector experts Pramod Joshi, Anil Ghanvat, and Ashok Gulati has submitted the report to the apex Court after 12 rounds of meetings with various stakeholders and 11 rounds of internal deliberations.