Three Union Ministers—junior Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, junior Home Minister Nityanand Rai, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal as well as a Central Government delegation have reached Chandigarh to hold a meeting with the representatives of Punjab farmers, according to an NDTV report.
The meeting is expected to take place at 18:00 IST today, which aims at persuading Punjab farmers to halt their planned protest, a tractor march scheduled for Tuesday, to emphasize key demands such as the implementation of a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) for crops, provision of pensions for farmers, and improved crop insurance.
Among the crucial requests is the withdrawal of police cases filed against farmers during the 2020 protests.
Meanwhile, another protest by Uttar Pradesh farmers’ has led to extensive traffic congestion due to the deployment of police personnel inspecting vehicles at the Delhi-Noida border.
Since December 2023, farmers in Noida and Greater Noida have been staging protests, demanding increased compensation and developing plots in exchange for land acquired by local development authorities in the past.
In response to these grievances, farmers’ groups called for ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ and a protest march to Parliament in the national capital on Thursday to press for their demands.
Paramilitary forces and riot control vehicles have been deployed to control the situation following the large gathering at Noida’s Mahamaya Flyover in the afternoon.
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