New Delhi: Amid the ongoing agitation against the Centre’s new farm laws, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait has sought power connections for AC and coolers at farmers’ protest sites.
“The summer season would soon be setting in and farmers require AC and coolers to stay put at the protest site. The government should provide power connections at the site or else we have to install generators, IANS quoted BKU leader Rakesh Tikait as saying.
He added that the way people got water for the agitating farmers at the protest site, they will also get diesel for the generators.
Tikat also reiterated that the farmers will intensify their stir until their demands are met.
“The government wants to prolong the protest, but the farmers are also ready for a long haul and will not leave the site until the demands are met,” Tikait told IANS.
He stated, “We will prepare 8 to 10 questions and distribute it among the people. Whenever, a party campaigns for the election, give them those questions. Soon we will be organising a meeting in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Bengal to discuss the progress by the respective sate governments.”
Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare on said that the Centre had promulgated these three news laws – The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, on June 5, 2020 by following the due procedure.Â
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare added that the draft of the Ordinances had been circulated to various ministries and departments, NITI Aayog etc, for their comments.Â
“The state governments were also consulted through video conferencing on May 21, 2020, which was attended by the officials of states and UTs, to obtain feedback on new legal framework facilitating barrier free inter-State and intra-State trade in agriculture produce to provide choice to farmers,” the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare stated.
“During COVID-19 lockdown due to disruption of markets and supply chains, there was utmost need to allow free direct marketing outside the mandis to facilitate the farmers in selling their produce near to farm gate at remunerative prices. As COVID-19 situation may have a prolonged effect globally on demand side, hence the urgency for promulgation of an Ordinances was necessitated to provide a new facilitative framework to promote barrier free inter-state and intra-state trade to increase market accessibility for farmers to realize their income,” the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare added.
The aded that in view of COVID-19 outbreak, the Government had also proactively undertaken many webinars interactions with farmers and other stakeholders on new farm laws between June 5 and September 17, 2020.
This is to be noted that 11 rounds of negotiations have been held between the Centre and agitating farmers’ unions to resolve the issues.
Meanwhile, Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee on Saturday visited the Ghazipur protest site to extend support to the farmers’ protest.
Thousands of farmers are camping at Delhi’s border since late November 2020 and are demanding the new farms laws to be repealed.Â
