Farmer unions invited for talks on Dec 30, Govt says ‘committed to find logical solution’

New Delhi: The government on Monday wrote to protesting farmer unions inviting them for the next round of talks on December 30 and said it is committed to finding “logical solution” to relevant issues with “honest intentions and open mind”.

In the letter to the farmer organisations protesting against new farm laws, Agriculture Ministry secretary Sanjay Agarwal said the farmers in their communication to the government had said that “they have always been ready to talk with an open mind”. The letter came two days after the farmer unions said that the government had been urging them for talks and proposed that the talks be held on December 29 at 11 am.

Agarwal said in the letter that the meeting will discuss the three farm laws, the minimum support price structure besides the ordinance to curb air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region and electricity amendment bill.

The letter in Hindi said that the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha had sent an e-mail on December 26 in which it had accepted the request of talks by the government and informed about the date and time of next meeting.

“You have apprised that the farmer organisations have been ready for talks with an open mind and will remain so. The government is also committed for a logical solution of the relevant issues with honest intentions and an open mind,” the letter said.

It said the meeting for “an acceptable solution” will be held at on December 30 at 2 pm at Vigyan Bhawan with the ministerial committee. The farmer unions protesting against the three farm laws had on Saturday proposed holding the next round of talks with the government on December 29.

They had said the first two points in their agenda for talks were modalities to repeal the three farm laws, and mechanism and procedure to bring a law for providing a legal guarantee on MSP.

The farmer unions had on December 23 rejected the government proposal for talks, urging it not to repeat the “meaningless amendments” which have been rejected before and to come up with a concrete proposal in writing. Farmers are protesting on Delhi borders since November 26 against agriculture laws recently enacted by the government.

They are protesting against 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. They are demanding the repeal of the three laws.

The farmer unions have held five rounds of talks with the government and attended a meeting called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.