Centre to hold meeting with protesting farmers on Feb 14 to address MSP demands

Chandigarh: The Centre will meet with Punjab's protesting farmers on February 14 in Chandigarh to discuss their demands. This will resolve the deadlock over restarting talks with the protesters, who have been insisting on a legal assurance for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops.

Following the announcement of the proposed meeting, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered the 54th day on Saturday, agreed to take medical aid.

However, he will not end his indefinite fast till a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops is given, said farmer leader Sukhjit Singh Hardojhande.

The breakthrough came after a delegation of officials from the Union agriculture ministry, led by Joint Secretary Priya Ranjan, met Dallewal and held a meeting with the representatives of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), which are spearheading the agitation for the last 11 months.

Following the announcement of the meeting on February 14, farmer leaders appealed to Dallewal to take medical aid so that he could participate in the proposed deliberations.

The Centre's delegation also asked Dallewal to take medical aid so that he can participate in the proposed meeting, which will take place at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration at Chandigarh at 5 pm on February 14.

Farmers, under the banner of the SKM (Non-Political) and KMM, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13 last year, after security forces did not allow them to march to Delhi to press for their various demands, including a legal guarantee on the MSP for their crops.