No breakthrough in Govt-farmers talks; next meet tomorrow
   Date :04-Dec-2020

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 Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar (C) and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal (L) and MoS for Commerce Som Parkash (R) during the fourth phase of discussion with the representatives of various farmer organisations in New Delhi on Thursday. (PTI)
 
 
NEW DELHI :
 
All farmer organisations to meet today to take a collective call for the next round of talks with the Government 
 
TALKS between three Union Ministers and a representative group of thousands of agitating farmers failed to yield any resolution on Thursday, as the union leaders stuck to their demand for the repeal of new farm laws and even refused the lunch, tea and water offered to them during almost eight-hour-long hectic parleys. On its part, the Government assured the group of nearly 40 farmer leaders that all their valid concerns would be discussed and considered with an open mind, but the other side flagged several loopholes and deficiencies in the laws, which they said were passed hastily in September.
 
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who led the Government side at the fourth round of talks at Vigyan Bhawan, later told reporters that the next meeting will take place on Saturday at 2 pm. He also said there is ‘no ego involved’ and the Government has agreed to ‘discuss and consider with an open mind open’ all major points of concerns among farmers about the three new laws, including on strengthening of the APMC (Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee) mandi system, tax parity with proposed private mandis and freedom for farmers to approach higher courts for any dispute resolution. The Government will also be open to looking into farmers’ concerns related to an ordinance on stubble burning and an electricity-related law, Tomar said. Union leaders, who came out of the meeting venue shouting slogans, said the talks remained deadlocked and some of them threatened to boycott any further meetings if no solution was found at Thursday’s meeting. “Discussions are over from our side.
 
Our leaders have said they will not attend further meetings if a solution is not given today by the Government,” said Pratibha Shinde, AIKSCC (All India Kishan Sangharsh Coordination Committee) working group member and president of Lok Sangharsh Morcha, which represents farmers of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Another farmer leader Kulwant Singh Sandhu said the Government made many proposals including on MSP and procurement system, which would be discussed among the farmer organisations on Friday, before the next meeting with the Government on Saturday. AIKSCC General Secretary Hannan Mollah said the main demand of the unions remains the repeal of the three Acts and the Government also listened to the 8-10 specific deficiencies pointed out by the farmer leaders.
 
“We do not want any amendment. We want the acts to be repealed,” he said. Mollah said all farmer organisations would meet on Friday at 11 am to take a collective call for the next round of talks with the Government. The Government gave a detailed presentation on the three laws and asserted its intent towards the welfare of the farmers. However, the union leaders rejected the Government’s position. Besides Tomar, the Government side included Railways, Food and Consumer Affairs, and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal; and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, who is also an MP from Punjab. Thousands of farmers have been camping at the Singhu and Tikri borders of the national capital for eight days as part of their protest against the laws. But protests have been continuing for much longer in other parts, especially in Punjab.