Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday appealed to farmer unions to end their protest against the three farm laws and come forward for discussions.
The minister said that the Centre will not repeal the agricultural laws and that the government is ready to hold talks with the farmers to discuss other options. The union minister further said that efforts will be made to provide more resources to the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC)
“APMCs will not be done away with… The Centre had declared in the Budget that the APMC will be part of the Rs 1 lakh crore infrastructure fund. APMC can benefit from the fund through loans, interest waivers…” Tomar told ANI.
On Thursday, addressing a press conference, Tomar appealed to farmer unions to end the deadlock and hold discussions with the government on the farm laws.
“I want to appeal to protesting farmer unions to end their protest and to hold discussions. Government is ready for discussions. APMC will be strengthened. Efforts will be made to provide more resources to the APMCs. Rs 1 lakh crore allocated under Atmanirbhar Bharat to Farmers Infrastructure Fund can be used by APMCs.
He also spoke about amending Coconut Board Act to boost coconut farming.
“To increase coconut farming, we are amending Coconut Board Act. The Coconut Board president will be a non-official person. He will be from the farmers’ community, who knows and understands the work of the field,” added the Union Agriculture Minister.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said on Thursday that farmers are ready to talk with the government on the farm laws but made it clear that the discussions should be held without conditions.
Tikait was responding to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar’s remarks earlier today where he said that the government is ready to hold talks with the protesting farmers to discuss other options. “They are imposing conditions that we should go to them for talks. They say that they can amend the laws but will not scrap them. Farmers have not been protesting for eight months so that they can follow the government’s orders. If the government wants to talk, they can talk, but no conditions should be imposed,” Tikait told ANI.
“They have not engaged in talks for six months. Whenever the government wants to talk, we are ready. We have not received any official letter (for talks). The Andolan will continue till the government wants. The government can do it by talks or by force but our Andolan will not end like this,” he added.
Farmers have been protesting at the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.