NEW DELHI: Punjab govt has written to the Centre, seeking Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan‘s intervention to end the impasse over the ongoing farmers’ protest at Punjab-Haryana border.
The letter written by Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian also highlighted the hunger strike by farmer representative Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a fast-unto-death since Nov 26, and the subsequent Supreme Court observation on the issue.
The letter was written on Dec 20, the day SC asked state authorities to move Dallewal to a hospital, if necessary. The letter was, however, received in the ministry this week. Though Chouhan has, so far, not responded, he, while responding to question on Dallewal’s fast during a press briefing on Wednesday, had said his ministry would take action as per the SC’s direction.
On question of whether he would invite farmers for talks, the minister said he has been meeting and interacting with farmer organisations every Tuesday.
Farmers led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) have been protesting at Punjab-Haryana border since Feb last year, demanding legal guarantee to procurement of crops at MSP .
