JOIN USFarmers reject Narendra Singh Tomar's offer for 'conditional talks'
Farmers agitating against the farm laws on Friday turned down Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar’s appeal to call off their seven-month-long protests and join talks with the government.
“Government wants conditional talks. We do not want to talk on these terms,” Rakesh Tikait, the leader of the Bhartiya Kisan Union told DH here.
He said the agitating farmers cannot accept the Modi government’s appeal to the farmers to give up the demand for repeal of the three farm laws that were passed by Parliament in September last year.
On Thursday, Tomar had announced that Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee markets would now be eligible to access funds from the Rs one lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF).
Tomar said the AIF loans could be used to upgrade state-regulated APMC markets, which the farmers fear would be shut down after the passage of the three farm laws by Parliament.
Home Minister Amit Shah said the decision was a reflection of the Modi government's resolve to further strengthen the APMC system.
However, Tikait refused to buy the government’s argument and contended that the APMCs will not get much business as the private markets – which will not levy any tax – could attract more trade over the state-regulated markets.
“There are 38 APMCs in Madhya Pradesh that have not procured a single quintal of wheat this season,” Tikait said and claimed that many APMC markets do not have money to pay the salaries of employees.
He said over the next few years the APMC markets could face closure as private markets would flourish due to lower taxes.
Farmers’ unions have been protesting on the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year. Through the winters, the three protest sites at Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri borders attracted a huge number of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana.
Over the past couple of months, the crowds at the protest sites have thinned as farmers returned to the villages for harvesting the rabi crop. Farmers are now busy preparing for the summer crop, leaving little time for protests in the national capital.