Panel of 3 union ministers to hold talks with farmer leaders in Chandigarh

Chandigarh: A panel of three Union ministers will hold a meeting with protesting farmer leaders in Chandigarh Thursday for another round of talks amid the ongoing standoff between the agitators and security personnel at the Punjab-Haryana border.

Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai will meet the farmer leaders at 5 pm over their various demands, including a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price for crops.

This will be the third round of talks between the two sides: the previous two rounds of dialogue on February 8 and 12 remained inconclusive.

Farmers from Punjab are camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders of Punjab and Haryana seeking to march towards Delhi to press the Centre to accept their demands.

The farmer leaders have said they will not make any fresh attempt to move towards the national capital till the meeting is held, asserting that the next course of action will be decided on the basis of the Centre's proposals.

Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner) have announced 'rail roko' in the state on Thursday. Farmers will squat on rail tracks at seven locations from 12 noon to 4 pm.

The decision was taken in protest against the hurling of tear gas shells and water cannons used against the protesting farmers by the Haryana security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has also decided to hold protests at toll plazas from 11 am till 2 pm.

Hundreds of farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders as part of their 'Dilli Chalo' call.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' agitation to put pressure on the Centre for their demands, including a law on MSP, loan waivers and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations.

The Haryana Police have sealed the border with barricades stopping farmers from travelling to Delhi on their tractor-trolleys.

At the Shambhu border point near Ambala, there was intermittent shelling of tear gas by security personnel on Wednesday. It was used whenever any group of farmers moved towards the barricades.

Security personnel faced stone-pelting from the protesters.

A similar standoff continued at the Data Singhwala-Khanauri border near Haryana's Jind district.