Centre postpones May 4 talks with Punjab farmers over demand to exclude state government
CHANDIGARH: The Union Government has postponed the scheduled May 4 meeting with Punjab-based farmer unions after the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) insisted on excluding representatives of the Punjab government from the discussions.
The Centre, in response, urged the farmer leaders to reconsider their stance, emphasising the importance of state participation in a federal setup.
A letter in this regard was sent by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Puran Chandra Kishan, to both KMM and SKM (Non-Political).
'As you know, state governments have an important role in the federal structure. Therefore, it would be appropriate to include the state government in the meeting. You are requested to reconsider the above decision, so that we can move forward towards a solution through dialogue. Therefore, it is requested that after positive deliberation, you give your consent for the meeting with the participation of the state. The meeting of May 4 is postponed till we get your consent. The date of the next meeting will be decided after receiving information from you,' stated the letter.
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