New Delhi: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the farmers' umbrella body which led the protests against the farm bills, on Thursday said that they will vacate Delhi by Saturday.
The decision to end the 15-month-long protest was made after a consensus was reached over a revised draft proposal of the Centre on their pending demands.
Sources in the farmers' umbrella body had earlier indicated that once unions receive a formal communication from the government on the agreed fresh draft proposal, the farmers' agitation, which had started at the three Delhi border points - Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri - on November 26 last year, will be ended.
.jpg.transform/170x160/image.jpg "Farmers won't resume 'Delhi Chalo' march today, major announcement on Feb 29")
Farmer leader and SKM core committee member Gurnam Singh Chaduni said that the earlier draft from the central government on pending demands was not acceptable to them following which a fresh proposal was received from the Centre on Wednesday.
According to the SKM sources, the fresh proposal sent clarified that the government will include SKM members in the committee on MSP and that governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana have agreed to withdraw cases against farmers with immediate effect. Cases registered against farmers in Delhi will also be withdrawn.
The SKM had formed a five-member panel for a dialogue with the Centre regarding pending demands of farmers including legal guarantee on MSP, withdrawal of cases against farmers registered during the movement and compensation to kins of farmers who died during the agitation.
On Tuesday, the SKM had demanded clarification on certain points in the government's proposal, including on the precondition set for the withdrawal of "fake" cases against farmers.
SKM sources said that the fresh proposal sent by the Centre also clarified that procurement of crops on MSP from states will not be reduced.
According to the SKM sources, it also clarified that Electricity Amendment Bill will not be tabled in Parliament until government discusses provisions impacting farmers with SKM. Stubble burning has already been decriminalised, the Centre informed farmers.
Farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been protesting at the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year to demand repeal of the three farm laws.
On November 29, a bill was passed in Parliament to repeal the three contentious farm laws, one of the main demands of the protesting farmers.
But the stalemate continued with the protesters demanding that the government fulfil their other demands that included a legal guarantee on MSP and withdrawal of cases against farmers.
(With PTI inputs.)
