Govt sends draft proposal to farmer leaders at Singhu Border; will discuss it, says BKU

“We are now going to hold discussions on the proposal sent by Government of India,” Manjeet Singh, BKU State President, Doaba said.

NEW DELHI: Amid ongoing protests by the thousands of farmers, the government on Wednesday sent a draft proposal to their leaders in order to persuade them to end their ongoing agitation against the farm laws. The draft proposal was sent to 13 farm union leaders, including Joginder Singh Urgrahan of BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), one of the biggest among nearly 40 agitating unions, news agency ANI reported.

Farmer leaders at Singhu Border receive a draft proposal from the Government of India#FarmLaws pic.twitter.com/zBQuOjY3F3

— ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2020

In the draft proposal, the government has reportedly proposed to give a "written assurance" that the existing Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime for procurement will continue. The government also proposed to make necessary amendments on at least seven issues, including one to allay fears about the weakening of the mandi system.

The farmers have been offered to register private mandis and subject then to same cesses as APMC. But the draft proposal did not mention anything about the main demand of protesting farmers for the repeal of the laws.

The farmers' union is now holding informal discussions over the proposal sent by the government to decide their future course of action. "Farmer unions have received the draft proposal from the government," Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said. He is one of the many union leaders participating in the ongoing negotiations with the government.

“We are now going to hold discussions on the proposal sent by Government of India,” Manjeet Singh, BKU State President, Doaba also said. According to the sources, the draft proposal was drafted by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to bring amendments in farm laws. 

We are now going to hold discussions on the proposal sent by Government of India: Manjeet Singh, BKU State President, Doaba https://t.co/KpvXjgTNAJ pic.twitter.com/bhta8pv4ho — ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2020

Sources said that Tomar had then sent the proposal with amendments to Union Home Minister for his approval. According to sources, Centre has assured that 1. MSP will not go and the Centre will continue with MSP; 2. Big change in APMC law; 3. Private players will have to register themselves for business with farmers; 4. In contract farming, farmers will get the opportunity to approach the normal court. The Centre will constitute a separate fast track court; 5. The Centre has agreed to levy tax on private players.

Earlier in the day, Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union had said that the sixth round of talks had been cancelled and that the farmers would hold a meeting over the Centre’s draft proposal.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's meeting with protesting farmers on Tuesday evening failed to resolve the deadlock over the farm laws and resulted in the sixth round of talks with the Centre scheduled for Wednesday being postponed.

As the protest entered Day 14, agitating farmers continued to protest against the Centre’s contentious farm laws at various borders of Delhi, central among them the Tikri and Singhu borders.

Over 32 farmer organisations under the banner of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha were to meet at noon at the Singhu border to discuss their major demands and the future action plan. 

Bharatiya Kisan Manch leader Boota Singh said that the morning meeting was a sort of preparatory one while the second meeting will discuss the Centre's written proposals on their demands.

All three farm laws should be repealed. This is our demand. If the proposal talks of only amendments then we will reject it, Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu, Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Punjab said at Singhu border.