Sukhbir Singh Badal strongly urges PM to hold direct talks with farmer organizations

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal strongly urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the grievances of the farming community by holding direct talks with farmer organizations as well as all other stake holders to come out with a solution which was acceptable to all. In a statement here, the SAD President said “farmer organizations have rightly rejected the Secretary level talks offered by the Agricultural ministry as a bureaucrat cannot offer anything on the table and had called the farm leaders only to explain the centre’s point of view. The Prime Minister must understand that a lot of water has flown under the bridge. Farmers in Punjab and Haryana besides other places have taken to the path of agitation at grave personal risk to themselves during pandemic because they are convinced the three recently enacted Agri laws will destroy their future generations. In such a situation, leaving aside any middlemen, the Prime Minister should intervene and hold direct talks with farmers as well as other stake holders, including all political parties. This interaction should be followed up by scrapping of the three Agri laws and fresh legislation safeguarding the interests of farmers”. Mr Badal said as far as the SAD was concerned, it stood for a written assurance on continuation of central government procurement of food grains as per MSP followed by a legislation making this a statutory law. “We also stand for constitutional guarantees banning trade in food grains below the MSP”. He also announced that the SAD would initiate formation of a national pro-farmer front by coordinating with other like mind regional parties to take this demand to its logical conclusion. Mr Badal said he would personally take up the cause of the farmers in Delhi by meeting representatives of likeminded regional parties soon. The SAD President said he would stress with likeminded parties that the Agri Acts in their present form were aimed at safeguarding the interests of corporates and not farmers. “Farmers need guaranteed MSP. The new Agri Acts will leave farmers to the mercy of big corporations. Those with small land holdings cannot take their produce to far off places or store it for months. In such a situation they will not have any bargaining power with private players”. Also Read | Captain Amarinder Singh gets tested for COVID-19, Here's the report Requesting the Prime Minister not to abrogate his duty towards farmers, Mr Badal said the PM should listen to ‘jan ki baat’ which he had also reflected as the chief minister of Gujarat when he had recommended making MSP a statutory right as head of consultative committee of Chief Ministers. He said presently it seemed that the NDA government was shifting its responsibility to private players. “This has already sent a wrong message and the prices of maize and cotton have deflated and are being picked up by private players at manipulated prices much below the MSP. I urge the Prime Minister to intervene and correct this imbalance which is tilted against the farmers immediately besides accepting the suggestions put up by the SAD to ensure justice is done to the annadaata”. -PTC News