देश

Farmer leaders to hold ‘internal meet’ to decide on Govt’s offer to suspend three farm laws for over a year to end protest

Farmer union leaders will meet on Thursday to decide on Centre’s latest offer to suspend the three controversial farm laws for over a year to end the ongoing protest in the national capital, which has now entered its 57th day.

Notably, the Centre had on Wednesday proposed to suspend the three contentious farm laws for one and half years during which a solution “can be reached with mutual dialogue” to end the stalemate.

However, farmer leaders did not immediately accept the proposal and said they will revert after their internal consultations. Yielding some ground to end the nearly two-month-long protest by thousands of farmers on the national capital borders, the government also proposed to set up a joint committee to find an amicable solution in the interest of the farming community.

During their tenth round of negotiations with three central ministers, the two sides decided to meet again on Friday after the union leaders hold their own internal consultations on Thursday to decide on the government’s new proposal.

Briefing media after a nearly five-hour-long meeting that included two breaks, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government has proposed to suspend implementation of the three laws for 1-1.5 years, during which period a joint committee of representatives from the government and farmers’ sides can continue their talks and those protesting on Delhi borders in extremely cold weather return to their homes.

The three laws have already been stayed by the Supreme Court till further orders and a committee of experts has been formed to resolve the deadlock. The panel has been asked by the apex court to submit its report within two months after consulting all stakeholders. The committee held its first meeting on Tuesday and will begin its consultations with farmer groups and others from Thursday.