Budget 2018-19

Officials said while the central government wanted farmers to discuss the three Acts clause by clause, the farmers wanted nothing less than an assurance of total repeal The seventh round of talks between agitating farmers and the central government to resolve the impasse over the three farm laws and a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) yet again failed to make headway. Both sides dug in their heels before deciding to reconvene on January 8. Officials said while the central government wanted farmers to discuss the three Acts clause by clause, the farmers wanted nothing less than an assurance of total repeal. The central government in its submission to farmers said the government was willing to discuss the Acts threadbare with farmers from the rest of the country before moving ahead. “The Centre wants the unions to raise specific issues in the three farm laws they have problems with. Both sides need to find a solution. We are hopeful of a solution on January 8. Monday’s talk...

  A breakthrough in the farmer unions’ key demand for an assurance on continuation of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement system is also said to be in the works The fourth round of talks between protesting farmers and the Centre on the three agriculture Acts seemed to make some headway, with the government willing to consider some of their objections to the legislation. Their demands include a having level playing field in taxes between proposed private mandis under the new Acts and the existing agriculture produce marketing committees (APMCs), and traders’ mandatory registration even if they trade outside those. Sources said a breakthrough in the key demand of the  farmers union  for an assurance on continuing minimum support prices (MSPs) in procurement was also in the works. In their present form, the agriculture trade Act says that no state or Centre can levy any sort of tax or levy on any trade done outside APMCs (an area which has been designated as trade ar...

  In the wake of the ongoing farmers’ agitation in the national capital, Delhi Traffic Police appealed to citizens to take alternative routes as borders including Singhu remain closed In the wake of the ongoing farmers’ agitation in the national capital, Delhi Traffic Police on Thursday appealed to citizens to take alternative routes as Singhu and Tikri borders with Haryana, Chilla border on Noida link road, besides Jharoda, and Jhatikra borders remained closed. Badusarai border is open only for two-wheelers. The police advised the commuters to avoid the Outer Ring Road from Signature Bridge to Rohini and vice versa, GTK Road, National Highway-44 and Singhu, Auchandi, and Lampur borders, as the traffic is “very heavy”. “Singhu border is still closed from both sides. Lampur, Auchandi, and other small borders also closed. Please take alternate routes. Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba Chowk and GTK Road,” the police tweeted on Thursday morning. As the Chilla border on Noida Link...

  The comments came a day before more than 30 farmers’ groups are scheduled to meet Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Food Minister Piyush Goyal The central government is open to considering some suggestions from farmers on ways to improve the three agricultural Acts but will not repeal them as they have been passed by Parliament, sources said. The bigger question of incorporating any provision that could give a legal standing to the minimum support price (MSP) is also not being considered at this stage as that will dilute the freeing up the market, the sources added. “Any legislation is not an end in itself and there is always scope for improvement and if farmers’ groups feel that their advice can better the legislations, it could be surely considered, which can then be incorporated into the Acts either by way of amendments or through tweaking of the rules,” a senior official said. The comments came a day before more than 30 farmers’ groups are scheduled to meet ...

Govt has urged farmer groups to share their specific complaints with regard to the three central Acts by December 2 so that they could be taken up for discussions the next day Talks on Tuesday between farmers’ groups and the Centre to break the deadlock over the agricultural Acts remained inconclusive, with both sides deciding to meet again on December 3. Sources said during the more than two-hour-long meeting, farmers remained firm on their stand that nothing short of repealing the three Acts would be acceptable to them while the Central government offered to set up a committee to look at the issues raised by them. The Central government, according to an official statement, has urged the groups to share their complaints on the three Central Acts by December 2. Then the matter will be taken up for discussion the next day. The farmers have, meanwhile, decided to continue their sit-in at two Delhi borders for the time being and could move to more areas and rope in other groups of agricul...