Chandigarh: Protesting farmers at the Chandigarh-Mohali border called off their demonstration on Monday evening after receiving a written assurance accepting their primary demands from the state administration. Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian personally handed over the official document to representatives of the agitating farmer unions.
Under the terms of the agreement, the government will convene a special session of the Vidhan Sabha within a month to pass resolutions on critical matters for central consideration. These include seeking the reconsideration of past water-sharing agreements, the repeal of specific sections of the Punjab Reorganisation Act to address riparian rights, the annulment of the Dam Safety Act, and the withdrawal of the Seed Bill.
Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian affirmed that resolving issues through dialogue remains a key priority for the state. Minister Khudian declared that an One-Time Settlement policy will be formulated to address outstanding loans from cooperative banks and societies, with a multi-party committee set up to structure the debt relief framework.
Regarding crop pricing, Mr Khudian stated that the state will maintain high sugarcane rates and mentioned that official files to fix the price were processed immediately. He added that pending dues from private sugar mills will be cleared in a time-bound manner, with the ‘One Window, One Payment’ system extended to private units. A joint committee of senior officials and farmer representatives will review any remaining demands.
