Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday convened an emergency meeting of newly re-constituted Council of Ministers in view of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha in protest against the three farm laws. The Council of Ministers passed a resolution expressing solidarity with the farmers and their demands.
Terming these laws as anti-farmers and anti-food security, Mr. Channi said these laws are a potent threat to the livelihood of farmers and their future generations. Making a firm resolve, the Chief Minister said that the earlier resolutions passed by the State Assembly in support of the state farmers’ demand to repeal these black laws should be conceded by the Government of India forthwith without any further delay.
Notably, the state government had earlier also categorically reiterated its commitment to the Resolutions passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on August 28, 2020 and October 20, 2020, emphasizing that all the genuine demands of the farmers must be accepted and urging the Government of India to “repeal the Farm Laws as Agriculture is a State Subject under the Constitution of India, and to make MSP a statutory right.” It welcomed the Supreme Court order staying the central legislations as acknowledgement of the concerns of the farmers of Punjab who are protesting against the Farm Laws, and recognition of their pain and anguish. “There is need for broad-based dialogue and proper consultation with all stakeholders as these legislations impact the future of millions of farmers across the country, and all genuine demands of the farmers must be accepted.
Expressing solidarity with the victim families of farmers who have lost lives during the ongoing agitation against draconian farm laws, the Chief Minister stressed on the need to win over their confidence as the Congress government has always stood firmly in support of their demands from day one when the Government of India thrusted these anti-farmer laws upon them. He asked all the Ministers to personally visit the houses of the deceased farmers to deliver the appointment letters for government jobs to their family members. He said nearly 155 such appointment letters are ready and the same should be delivered to them within a week. He also asked the Chief Secretary to ensure verification of other remaining such cases expeditiously so as to complete the process of giving government jobs to the eligible next of kin.
Taking cognizance of the widespread resentment amongst the farmers for getting inadequate compensation in view of their land acquired by the various government agencies, Mr. Channi directed the Chief Secretary to explore ways and means to rationalize the quantum of compensation to be awarded to the farmers to their satisfaction.
