Punjab Requests Centre to Resolve Stalemate and Resume Talks with Protesting Farmers
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Chandigarh, Jan 4 (NationPress) The Punjab Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Saturday called upon Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to overcome the current stalemate and recommence dialogue between the Centre and the protesting farmer unions as soon as possible.
Union Minister Chouhan was participating in virtual discussions concerning reforms in the agriculture sector alongside Agriculture and Horticulture Ministers from various states and union territories.
Minister Khudian expressed concern regarding the ongoing fast-unto-death of Jagjeet Singh Dallewal, highlighting that the situation has become critical.
"For 40 days, he (Dallewal) has been jeopardizing his health, and it is crucial for the Centre to act swiftly to address the issues at hand and preserve his well-being," he remarked.
The Punjab Minister reaffirmed that the state government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is fully supportive of the farmers' rightful demands and is eager to collaborate with the Union government to ensure a prosperous agricultural future.
In addition to this, he raised the pressing issue of providing Rs 15,000 per acre as gap funding for farmers to encourage them to transition from water-intensive paddy cultivation to more sustainable alternative crops.
Minister Khudian underscored that the alarming depletion of groundwater and the impacts of climate change necessitate an urgent shift towards less water-consuming crops such as maize, cotton, kharif pulses, and oilseed crops under a crop diversification initiative, allowing farmers to achieve profits comparable to those from paddy.
He urged the Centre to support farmers by providing financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per acre—with Rs 2,000 from the Union government and Rs 500 from the state government—for the scientific management of paddy straw.
Moreover, Minister Khudian advocated for the adoption of BG-3 hybrid seeds, which are resistant to pink bollworm and whitefly, as pest outbreaks have severely affected farmers over recent years.
Additionally, he suggested that subsidies should be made available under centrally sponsored schemes to promote the use of improved cotton hybrid seeds, thus aiding in the revival of cotton production in the state.
