The Punjab government on Sunday agreed to the demands of protesting farm unions who have been demonstrating under the Samyukt Kisan Morcha umbrella for the past six days on the outskirts of Chandigarh.
Agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and health minister Dr Balbir Singh held a meeting with the farm union leaders for over three hours at Punjab Bhawan. Following the meeting, the farm unions stated they will only decide whether to withdraw their protest after receiving a written assurance from the state government.
The ministers agreed that the Punjab government will convene a special Vidhan Sabha session to pass resolutions on the demands raised by them, according to farm leaders who addressed the media after the meeting. “We want the control of dams in Punjab to be with the state government, and we also seek the cancellation of all water-sharing agreements which the state government signed in the past,” said Balbir Singh Rajewal, head of a Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) faction. “Our decision for the further course of action will depend on what the government offers us in writing,” said Raminder Singh Patiala of the Kirti Kisan Union. “After receiving an assurance, we will hold a meeting among the unions and announce our decision,” he added
