Punjab’s protesting farmers on Wednesday called off their protest after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) – led State Government accepted 12 of the total 13 demands raised by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), including advancing the paddy transplantation in three phases beginning June 7.

The call to end the protest came after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the protesting farmers reached a compromise after a two-and-half hours meeting. Of the 13 demands by the farmers, there has been agreement on 12 issues, while no consensus has been made on the demand for Rs 500 per quintal compensation to the farmers whose wheat yield dropped because of the intense heatwave in March.

Conceding the farmers’ demands, Mann announced a fresh schedule for staggered sowing of paddy on June 14 and June 17, thus restricting the total number of zones to just two instead of four.

Mann also told the farmer leaders that the State Government has already issued a notification to procure the entire moong (green gram) crop at a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 7,275 per quintal.

Notably, scores of farmers from across the State began a protest near the Chandigarh-Mohali border on Tuesday after they were stopped from heading to the state capital to press their various demands, including a bonus on wheat and beginning paddy sowing from June 10.

Announcing a fresh schedule for staggered sowing of paddy after the meeting, the Chief Minister also declared that the border belt across the fence has been excluded from the zonal restrictions and the farmers of this region have been allowed to sow paddy from June 10.

Notably, it was earlier decided to undertake paddy cultivation in a staggered manner by dividing the entire state into four zones viz — Zone-I with the date of transplantation (June 18), Zone-II (June 22), Zone-III (June 24), and Zone-IV (June 26) — to save the fast depleting groundwater.

Mann, chairing a meeting with SKM’s various representatives led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, asked the farmers to immediately go for paddy nursery so that paddy transplantation could be ensured within the stipulated time schedule.

Fulfilling his government’s firm commitment to ensure MSP on moong crop, Mann apprised the farm leaders that the State Government has already issued a notification to procure the entire crop on MSP of Rs 7275 per quintal. He also assured the farmers that the State Government is already in the mode of finalizing modalities to procure maize too on MSP to give a boost to its ambitious programme of crop diversification.

CM TO MEET SHAH TODAY TO SEEK MSP FOR BASMATI, BBMB ISSUE

On the issue of MSP for Basmati, the Chief Minister also informed that he would call on the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday to impress upon the Government of India to immediately announce MSP on Basmati so as to encourage our farmers to go for its cultivation in a big way by shifting from water guzzling paddy thus conserving the water.

He also told the SKM members that he would also take up the contentious issue of BBMB with Amit Shah for expeditious resolution to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

Appreciating the farmers’ response for sowing paddy through DSR technology, the Chief Minister said that the State Government has already announced a financial assistance of Rs 1500 per acre to incentivize the farmers to adopt this less water consuming and cost-effective technology. A sum of Rs 450 crore on account of incentive amount has been earmarked for the purpose.

Meanwhile, all the members of SKM also highly lauded the State Government’s decision to promote paddy cultivation through the DSR technique and congratulated the Chief Minister for taking this out-of-box initiative for the welfare of the farming community.

GIVE SOME TIME TO BRING FARMER-FRIENDLY REFORMS IN AGRI SECTOR: CM TO FARMERS

Mann urged the union leaders to give him some time for at least one year to bring farmer-friendly reforms in the agriculture sector. “Please bear with me and I assure you that I will make your organization free from agitations,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that his doors of the office, as well as residence, are always open to resolve any issue related to farmers’ welfare with open-mind through mutual dialogue to the entire satisfaction of all the stakeholders. At the same time, he also urged them to shun the path of agitation and if they had any grouse against the government, they should sit across the table to finally find an amicable solution.

GOVT TO BRING COMPREHENSIVE POLICY TO BESTOW OWNERSHIP RIGHTS ON CULTIVATORS

Responding to another issue raised by the representatives of farm unions, Mann unequivocally said that the State Government would soon come out with a comprehensive policy for bestowing ownership rights on the cultivators who had been in possession of Panchayat land and cultivating the same since long to convert the barren land into cultivable.

The Chief Minister also asked the Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal to convene a meeting with the representatives of farm associations to resolve this issue at the earliest. He, however, said that the State Government’s vigorous campaign to get the Government or Panchayat land free from illegal possession will continue till its last inch is finally vacated.

Mann also appealed to them for maintaining cordial relations between farmers and labourers so as to safeguard the interests of each other for making agriculture profession economically sustainable and financially viable. He hoped that the unprecedented warm ties between both of them in the state since time immemorial should be exemplified for others.

The protest was lifted only after the Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal made a formal announcement and shared the details of the meeting between farmers and the Chief Minister at the protest site.

Earlier, BKU (Sidhupur) state president Jagjit Singh Dallewal announced that the Punjab Government has accepted the demands of the farmers, while declaring that the protesting farmers won't move from the Chandigarh-Mohali border until an AAP Minister comes and announces the decision.

“They (Punjab Govt) have accepted our demands but we will not move from here until a minister comes here and announces the decisions,” said Dallewal.

FARMERS’ DEMANDS

The farmers had put forth 13 demands. Among others, they wanted the Government to allow them to sow paddy from June 10, instead of in a staggered manner from June 18 earlier announced by the Chief Minister. They also wanted a notification issued for the MSP for maize and moong and fixing Rs 4,500 per quintal MSP for Basmati. The protesters also demanded that the arrest warrants issued against farmers, who had taken loans from co-operative societies, be canceled and loans up to Rs two lakh be waived.

They also demanded the government to lower the charges on the extension of electricity load from Rs 4,800 to Rs 1,200; 10-12 hours of power supply and release of outstanding sugarcane payments. The protesters are also against the installation of smart electricity metres.