More agri reforms due, hopeful of resuming talks with farmers: Tomar

Modi to talk to farmers on Dec 25, release next instalment under PM-Kisan

Despite agitating farmers wanting the new farm laws to be rolled back and amid demands of “concrete solution”, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government would continue with the reforms as they are still due in many areas.
 
He reiterated his hope that protesting farmers will soon come forward to resume their dialogue with the Centre. The minister said any agitation can be resolved only through dialogue and urged the protesting unions to fix a date and time for the next round of talks. “There are still many areas left where reforms are due...,” he said. Tomar received six boxes of letters with signatures of 3,13,363 farmers from 20 states, including Punjab through NGO CNRI, in support of the farm laws. Of these, 12,895 farmers were from Punjab and 127,000 farmers were from Haryana.

 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the next instalment of the financial benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) on December 25 via video-conferencing, his office said on Wednesday.
 

Modi will also interact with farmers from six states during the event, the Prime Minister's Office said. “Farmers will share their experiences with PM-KISAN and also on various other initiatives taken by the government for the welfare of farmers,” the PMO said.
 
Under the PM-KISAN scheme, a benefit of Rs 6,000 per year is given to small and marginal farmers, payable in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each. The fund is transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

 
Meanwhile, Hanan Mollah, general secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, said: “We want talks to happen, but the Centre is unwilling to send any agenda for the discussions until that happens what is the need for such talks?” “Farmer unions are ready to talk to the government and are waiting for the government to come to the table with an open mind,” said Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav.
 
Thousands of cultivators have been protesting at the border points of Delhi since November 26 against the Centre's three new farm laws.