Farmers Protest: Deadlock continues; Governmentagrees to form committee for better implementation of MSP system

The Centre and farmers have claimed forward movement on the latter's worries over the amendments to the electricity act and on legalizing stubble burning, raising hopes of a resolution to the month-long agitation on the national capital borders.

There was, however, no imminent solution in sight to the major farmers' demands for the abolition of the three laws and the legal promise of a minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce. The next meeting is set for the 4th of January.  

The Center made it clear to the farmers' unions that the three laws would not be repealed, but that they would be able to answer particular questions about the laws. 

On Friday, the agitating farmers were expected to consult lawyers about the ability to accommodate their complaints without repealing the three rules. "Issues related to stubble burning and electricity (Act) were sorted out in today's meeting," Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait told reporters after the sixth round of formal talks with Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Consumer Affairs Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for Trade Som Prakash. 

After the five-hour conference, speaking to reporters, Tomar said there was a consensus on decriminalizing the burning of stubble and maintaining the electricity subsidy provided to farmers for irrigation once the relevant laws are amended.

In view of the cold wave conditions prevailing in the national capital, Tomar also renewed the appeal to the farmers to encourage the elders and children among the protesters to return home. 

‘Today's talks were optimistic. The state has said that we should put an end to unrest and form a commission. Yet we weren't listening to them. We will not take back our campaign’, Kisan Sabha, Balkaran Singh Brar, president of the All India Punjab unit, told reporters. The repeal of the three farm laws is still deadlocked and there is no consensus on MSP.