Farmers set to end protests as Union govt accepts almost all demands

As the Union Government has given protesting farmers written assurance their demands, farmers will halt their protests, if the offer is taken, reports NDTV quoting sources.

According to the report, the written assurance to the farmers include legal guarantee for MSP for which the Union government will form a committee. The committee will consist of government officials, agriculture experts and reps from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of farmer unions that has led this protest, the Union government told farmers.

The government has also agreed to drop all police cases against farmers which includes stubble burning complaints and those filed by Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in connection with violent clashes with security forces over the past several months,

The farmers also raised the question of compensation referring to the ₹ 5 lakh offered by Punjab, to which the Union government reacted positively pointing out UP and Haryana had, in principle, agreed to similar measures.

According to the NDTV report, farmers groups have almost dropped their demand to sack junior Home Minister Ajay Mishra, whose son, Ashish, has been arrested in connection with the running over of four farmers in UP's Lakhimpur as this demand is unlikely to be met.

About the demand for withdrawal of the draft electricity bill, the Union government said that the opinion of all the stakeholders will be taken into before tabling it in Parliament.

Farmers leader said that a proposal has been received on which a discussion was held on Tuesday.

"We discussed the proposal received from the Union government. Some farmers felt that some more clarification was needed on some issues. We hope that we will receive a reply from the Centre. Government has put some conditions and we want unconditional assurance," farmers leader Yudhvir Singh said.