Budget 2018-19

  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...

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...