In a significant move to address the longstanding concerns of farmers, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday announced the formation of a committee aimed at resolving pending issues by March 31.
The committee, chaired by the state Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, will focus on resolving pending issues, including compensation and jobs for the families of farmers who lost their lives protesting against the Centre’s three ‘controversial’ farm laws (now repealed). Comprising senior IAS officers and representatives from farmers’ unions and agriculture experts, the committee aims to finalize its report by March 31, 2024.
Initiating further pro-farmer measures, the Chief Minister announced a special drive from January 1 to April 13, organizing camps in villages, for the consensual division of land. He assured that land division would be done based on possession of ownership for residents without land ownership disputes, benefiting those seeking mutual consent for land division.
In another farmer-friendly move, the Chief Minister lifted the ban on opening new accounts in cooperative societies in villages, offering farmers the opportunity to enjoy substantial benefits. He also committed to releasing all types of pending compensation to farmers by the end of the current fiscal year.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister assured farmers that 242 lift pumps, providing water at the tail end of Sirhind Feeder, would receive free power from January 1. The Government is also considering granting permits to farmers to address the issue of stray and wild animals causing significant crop damage.
Additionally, Mann highlighted the state's intention to raise the matter of introducing a One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme for farmers' loans in cooperative banks with NABARD.
Responding to concerns raised by farmers, the Chief Minister assured them that no private agency would be entrusted with the distribution of power in the state.
On the critical issue of Minimum Support Price (MSP), Mann reiterated that it is the right of farmers, and the State Government would take all necessary steps, including legal and administrative measures, to ensure farmers receive MSP for their produce.
A sub-committee, comprising bureaucrats and farmers’ representatives, were also set up to explore the possibility of introducing a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme for crop loans taken by the farmers. The sub-committee comprises four farmer leaders and the state’s Special Secretary (Agriculture) Sanyam Aggarwal.
After the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann left the meeting mid-way and left for New Delhi, the state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Agriculture Minister Khudian took charge of the deliberations, steering discussions toward addressing the urgent concerns of the farming community.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who passionately asserted his Government's determination to wage a war against the Centre to safeguard the state's rights over its river waters, set the tone for a spirited resistance. The farmer leaders, standing united under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, pledged unwavering cooperation in any action aimed at preserving the riparian rights of the state.
Mann emphasized that Punjab has no spare water to share with other states. Asserting his unwavering stance, he confirmed his attendance at the meeting convened by the Union Water Resources Minister on December 28.
The Chief Minister pledged to firmly present the state's case, safeguarding Punjab's water interests against any external claims, before the Union Government in the meeting. “Punjab has no spare water to share with any other state and this will be conveyed firmly in the meeting,” he said.
At the same time, he quipped that he was not afraid of anyone and will safeguard the interests of the state during the meeting convened by the Union government.
