Before making MSP offer, Union ministers discussed it with govt secretaries for over an hour

ਕਿਸੇ ਜ਼ਮਾਨੇ ‘ਚ ਸੰਗਰੂਰ ਤੋਂ ਅਬੋਹਰ ਤੱਕ Cotton Belt ਹੁੰਦੀ ਸੀ…ਚਿੱਟੀ ਮੱਖੀ ਤੇ ਗੁਲਾਬੀ ਸੁੰਡੀ ਕਰਕੇ ਕਿਸਾਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਨਰਮੇ ਤੇ ਕਪਾਹ ਦੀ ਫ਼ਸਲ ਤੋਂ ਵਿਸ਼ਵਾਸ ਉੱਠ ਗਿਆ…ਇਹਨਾਂ ਫ਼ਸਲਾਂ ਦੀ ਖ਼ਰੀਦ ‘ਤੇ ਵੀ MSP ਦੀ ਗਾਰੰਟੀ ਦੀ ਪੇਸ਼ਕਸ਼ ਰੱਖੀ ਗਈ.. pic.twitter.com/sYhfOj3nzo

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) February 18, 2024

“It was from this that the discussion on the issue started. The issue was discussed for three hours after the Union ministers went out of the meeting, held a meeting among themselves and spoke to secretaries of the Government of India to make an offer. This exercise went on for an hour as the farmers kept waiting inside the meeting hall. After coming back to the meeting hall, the ministers announced that it was doable that the centre’s cooperative societies will procure three pulses and maize while the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) will procure cotton.

With this the Union ministers put the ball back into the farmers’ court. The farmer leaders then sought time stating that before accepting the offer, they would have to take it back to their fora and then announce the decision.

ਝੋਨੇ ਦੀ ਬਜਾਏ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦਾ ਕਿਸਾਨ ਬਦਲਵੀਂ ਫ਼ਸਲ ‘ਚ ਦਾਲਾਂ ਬੀਜਣ ਲਈ ਤਿਆਰ ਹੈ ਪਰ ਕੇਂਦਰ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਫ਼ਸਲਾਂ ‘ਤੇ MSP ਅਤੇ ਫ਼ਸਲ ਦਾ ਇੱਕ-ਇੱਕ ਦਾਣਾ ਚੁੱਕਣ ਦੀ ਗਾਰੰਟੀ ਦੇਵੇ…ਜਿਸ ‘ਤੇ ਅੱਜ ਵਿਸਥਾਰ ਸਹਿਤ ਚਰਚਾ ਹੋਈ… pic.twitter.com/8Yxk7jx4DI

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) February 18, 2024

The Union ministers told the farmers to take their time but call off the protest. They also said that the window would also provide time to work out finer details of the proposal.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal offered the proposal that the central government’s cooperative agencies including NCCF and NAFED will procure maize and arhar, urad and moong dal and that the CCI will procure cotton produce after the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices decided the MSP. For this, the farmers and these agencies will get into a legal contract of five years with each other.

Goyal called it an “out-of-box-idea” that was prompted by discussions with farmers. He said the farmer leaders pointed to the rising desertification in Punjab due to water sources drying up, and this led to a discussion on diversification. “We discussed how the cultivation of pulses could reduce imports, conserve water in Punjab, help soil health and boost farmers’ income,” he said after the meeting.

ਕੇਂਦਰੀ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਨਾਂ ਤੇ ਕਿਸਾਨ ਆਗੂਆਂ ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਹੋਈ ਮੀਟਿੰਗ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਵੇਰਵੇ ਸਾਂਝੇ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹਾਂ, ਚੰਡੀਗੜ੍ਹ ਤੋਂ Live… https://t.co/ZdYlv6DtVr

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) February 18, 2024

He added that several policy matters discussed at the meeting needed broader representation and could not be finalised with a few representatives. “Given the upcoming elections, these policy discussions will be addressed in due course,” he added.

A source said that there was no discussion on oil seeds, which are also important crops in Punjab. India imports oil seeds. “It surprised me that nobody raised oil seeds after the offer. We have mustard and flax seeds that grow in abundance in Punjab. These could also have been included in the proposal,” he said.

The issue of loan waivers for farmers was raised but the ministers told them that it needed policy discussions.