Farmer Protest Talks: Government Accepts Two Demands Of Farmers Out Of Four, Next Meeting On January 4

Making headway in talks for the first time since farmers opposed to the new agriculture laws, the Centre on December 30 said there had been “mutual consensus” on two of the four demands raised by the farmer unions. The two sides agreed to meet again on January 4. Centre agreed to “decriminalise” stubble burning by excluding farmers from the ambit of the ‘Commission for the Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2020’. Centre agreed to drop those provisions of the draft Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020, which are intended to change the existing mode of subsidy payment to consumers. There was no headway on the demands to repeal the three newly enacted farm laws and provide legal guarantee on the MSP or minimum support price. These will be discussed when the two sides meet again on January 4.