Centre-Farmer Talks: Consensus On 2 Issues, Says Minister; Next Meeting On Jan 4

Picture courtesy PTI

New Delhi: Differences between protesting farmers and the Union government over the contentious agriculture laws were not resolved, but Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar saw a ray of hope after Wednesday’s sixth round of talks at Vigyan Bhawan.

“Today’s talks were held in a very good environment and it concluded on a positive note. Consensus on two out of four issues was reached between both sides,” Tomar said at the end of the meeting which started around 2 pm and lasted over four hours.

The next meeting will be held on January 4, the minister informed.

This meeting came after a long gap as after the last meeting the situation hit a dead end with farmers being stern on their demand for a complete withdrawal of the laws and the Centre on not accepting it.

There was no definite response to farmers’ demands, the core of which is withdrawal of the three farm laws, but it was a far more amicable ambience on Wednesday with the farmers’ leaders mingling with government representatives during lunch and evening snack time.

Ruldu Singh Mansa, one of the farmer union heads, said the government has offered to withdraw the electricity amendment bill and amend the ordinance to remove the penal provision on farmers in stubble-burning cases.