Centre blinks: Let us hold Farm legal guidelines on maintain for 18 months, type joint panel

In a major initiative to finish farmer protests over the brand new agriculture legal guidelines, which moved from Punjab to the gates of Delhi final November, the Centre Wednesday supplied to maintain the legal guidelines in abeyance for 18 months.
With farmer unions refusing to seem earlier than a Supreme Court-appointed committee of consultants, the Centre, throughout talks with the unions, supplied to type a joint committee of presidency and farmer representatives to handle grievances. It proposed that the legal guidelines be saved in abeyance for a year-and-a-half or until such time that the proposed committee submits a report.
The two sides agreed to fulfill once more on Friday. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who has been main the federal government delegation on the talks, mentioned: “We expect to move towards a solution on January 22.”
The Centre made the provide a day after RSS Sarkaryawah (basic secretary) Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi, in an interview to The Indian Express, referred to as for “sensitivity” in coping with the farmer agitation and mentioned a “middle ground must be found and both sides must work to find a solution”.
Joshi underlined that “it is not good for the health of society for any agitation to run for too long… We just want the agitation (to) end quickly”.

Emerging from the talks, Tomar mentioned: “As you are aware, the Supreme Court has stayed the agriculture reform laws for a short duration. Their implementation will not happen for some time. In the past and even today, we told them that more time is needed to consider the laws in detail, discuss various aspects related to the agitation. And the required time may be six months, one year or one-and-half years.”
“The government is ready to put on hold the implementation of the laws for one, one-and-half years. During this period, the government and farmer representatives shall find a solution. Whatever the solution, it should be taken forward,” he mentioned.

“I am happy. It is the effect of the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh that farmer unions took this proposal very seriously and said they will discuss among themselves, and meet again at noon on January 22 to let us know their decision,” he mentioned.
“I believe the talks are moving in a meaningful direction and we expect to move towards a solution on January 22,” Tomar mentioned.
“As earlier, the farmer unions were firm on their demand for repeal (of the laws) and the government was ready to discuss and amend the provisions of the laws with an open mind and big heart. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. All sides expressed their views and the discussions saw some softening and hardening (naram aur garam) of stand. Several rounds of talks were held,” he mentioned.
Asked if the proposed joint committee will look into the demand for authorized assure of MSP, Tomar mentioned: “I said aspects related to the protests will be discussed.”
On the January 26 tractor rally deliberate by the farmers, he mentioned: “Farmers are sitting in the cold and facing problems, and they should end the protest and return home. Government and farmer representatives will find a solution.”
Asked if the federal government’s dialogue will proceed alongside the work of the Supreme Court-appointed committee, Tomar mentioned: “The government is committed to the Supreme Court and will remain so. The committee appointed by the Supreme Court is doing its job, the government too has direct accountability towards farmers… we are taking forward this discussion while discharging our responsibility.”
Meanwhile, the federal government is all set to make amendments to the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2020 to exclude the farmers from its purview.

The Ordinance can be taken up for passage within the two Houses of Parliament when the Budget session begins. The Ordinance, promulgated on October 28, must be authorised by Parliament in six months.
Section 14 (1) of the air high quality Ordinance gives for imprisonment as much as 5 years and positive as much as Rs 1 crore or each for acts which contribute to air pollution. Farmers had expressed concern that this provision could also be used towards them over stubble burning.
“The government is ready to make those changes we have committed to farmers on this and the amendments will be brought during the debate and passage of the Bill in Parliament during the Budget session,” an official supply mentioned.
On Wednesday, senior ministers and leaders of the BJP together with occasion president J P Nadda had a dialogue at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s residence on the occasion’s technique for the Budget session.
The assembly was attended by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and occasion whips Rakesh Singh and Shiv Pratap Shukla.
“The leaders discussed all possible issues that could come up during the session. Party leaders are aware that the farmer issue could be a key political point on which the Opposition will try to corner the government,” a celebration chief mentioned.