MSP will not end, will not end, will not end: Shivraj Chouhan to farmers
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who took over as Madhya Pradesh chief minister for the fourth time in March, advised farmers to keep up the dialogue for a resolution.
Reaching out to protesting farmers stationed at the Singhu border near Delhi, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan underlined that the minimum support price for crops will not be diluted and urged farmers to be flexible in their approach and keep up the dialogue with the government.
“MSP will not end, will not end, will not end,” said the chief minister while speaking at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who took over as Madhya Pradesh chief minister for the fourth time in March, advised farmers to keep up the dialogue for a resolution.
“The government is ready for dialogue, they [farmers] should not give up on dialogue, lachila rukh apnana chahiye (approach should be flexible),” said the CM.
The farmers having rejected Centre’s amended proposal have now vowed to intensify their protests by blocking the capital’s highway to Agra and Jaipur by December 12 and hold a nationwide dharna two days later. They seek repeal of the new farm laws, which they say are aimed at benefitting corporates by weakening the mandi system and the minimum support price (MSP) regime for procurement of farm produce.
“Jidd will not solve it, charcha will (Stubbornness will not help, dialogue will),” reiterated CM Chouhan.
Earlier today, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar urged farmer union leaders to consider proposals sent to them to break the deadlock over protests and said the government is ready for further discussions with them any time.
When asked whether the government would consider a new bill on the MSP system, the minister said the new laws do not impact the MSP system and that will continue.
“The government is ready to consider with an open mind any provision in the new laws where farmers have any issues and we want to clarify all their apprehensions,” Tomar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
“We kept waiting for suggestions from farmers’ leaders to address their concerns, but they are stuck on the repeal of laws,” he said, while virtually ruling out conceding to the key demand with which thousands of farmers are protesting.
The government fad on Wednesday proposed to give a “written assurance” that the existing Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime for procurement will continue. However, the farmers’ unions rejected the proposal.
The government has also proposed to make necessary amendments on at least seven issues, including one to allay fears about the weakening of the mandi system.
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