No penalty for stubble burning, says govt; farmers call off tractor rally

Appealing to protesting farmers to end their agitation, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday said the Centre had agreed to their demand to decriminalize stubble burning.

With the government listing the Farm Laws Repeal Bill-2021 for passage in both Houses of Parliament on Monday, Tomar said there was no cause for farmers’ agitation anymore. Hours later, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of unions spearheading the farm stir, called off its November 29 tractor march to Parliament.

Unions on the MSP panel

Farm unions will be part of the panel announced by PM Modi for reviewing the MSP regime… Farmers should now return home. —NS Tomar, Minister

The minister said the farmers’ demand originally was to repeal the laws and that had been agreed along with another demand to decriminalize stubble burning. On the issue of MSP, he said farmer organizations would be part of the committee the PM had announced for review of minimum support price regime and for the realization of crop diversification and zero budget farming goals.

On the farmers’ demand to withdraw cases registered against them during the course of the year-long agitation against farm laws and for compensation to the families of 700 farmers who died protesting, the minister said, “The issue of registered cases is under the jurisdiction of the state governments and they will review the cases depending on the seriousness and then take a decision. The matter of compensation is also with the states.”

The minister said once the committee on the Minimum Support Price issue, as announced by PM Modi, was formed, the farmers’ demand to discuss the MSP would also be met.