Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said that the Opposition created a ruckus and disrupted the discussion in the Parliament related to agriculture and farmer welfare.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan told the media, "A discussion on farmers and their welfare and agriculture was scheduled to take place in Lok Sabha yesterday (March 20). We wanted the Opposition to also take part in the discussion to give their suggestions, but sadly, the Opposition created a ruckus and disrupted this discussion. I urge the Opposition to let this discussion take place today so that we can take forward work for farmers' welfare."
"The discussion on agriculture and farmers' welfare was meant to happen in Parliament and the Lok Sabha. Discussion is the essence of democracy; it propels welfare work forward through dialogue and discussion. Farmer welfare is the top priority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and several schemes are being run by the government for their welfare," Chouhan added.
Discussions were very positive with protesting farmers: Chouhan
As part of the central government's outreach to farmers, three Union ministers and Punjab Cabinet ministers met with the farmers in Chandigarh on Wednesday (March 19) amid their protest over several demands. After meeting with farmers' leaders, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasised that the discussion was very positive. "The meeting took place in a very positive atmosphere, and the discussions were very positive. The next date for the meeting is May 4," Chouhan said.
The seventh round of talks between farmer leaders and a central delegation concluded on Wednesday, with Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announcing the next meeting on May 4. The talks were held to discuss the various demands raised by the farmers, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops, among others.
Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, "The meeting took place in a very positive atmosphere, and the next date for the meeting is May 4.The discussions were very positive, and the officials of the Agriculture Ministry will hold discussions with all the stakeholders who want a legal guarantee on MSP."
Punjab farmer leader, while speaking to the media, also said that the discussion was positive, and the central government has asked for some time to discuss their demand for a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
"Today, our 9-point meeting was held, in which several ministers from the central government and the Punjab government participated. Pralhad Joshi, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Piyush Goyal were also present in this meeting. The discussion today lasted for about three hours and mainly focused on the MSP law. The government has stated that they need some more time, as they have to conduct inter-ministerial discussions on this matter. The government also mentioned that there could be some issues in making MSP a legal law," a farmer leader said.