Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said the government will follow the Supreme Court's decision on the ongoing farmers' protest at the Punjab-Haryana border and take steps accordingly.
While the protesting farmers have requested the Centre to hold talks with them, Shivraj said the apex court is currently looking into the matter.
He further said he has been meeting various farm bodies every Tuesday and discussing their concerns. Shivraj's remarks come at a time when the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a plea seeking contempt action against the Punjab government for not complying with directions to hospitalise farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for over a month.
Dallewal has been on indefinite fast at Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to pressurize the Center to accept the demands of the agitating farmers, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since February 13. Their march towards Delhi was stopped by security forces at that time. On December 28, the apex court strongly reprimanded the Punjab government for not taking Dallewal to the hospital, while it doubted the agitating farmers' intention to oppose medical assistance for the 70-year-old man.
The Punjab government informed the Supreme Court on December 31 that Dallewal had agreed to accept medical assistance, provided the Center accepts his offer to negotiate. Shivraj said that he held a series of meetings with officials of his ministry on Wednesday, the first day of the New Year, and set focused targets to achieve the goals set for the agriculture sector by March 31.
Prakash Kumar Pandey
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