Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday said the state government has constituted a ministerial panel to hold talks with agitating farmers over their demands, as the protest over procurement of moong at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) gathered momentum in the state capital.
The chief minister said the government was open to discussions and expressed hope that the dialogue would help resolve the impasse.
“I have constituted a committee to engage in dialogue with the farmers regarding issues concerning them. Yesterday too, I sent Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana to speak with the farmers,” CM Yadav told reporters.
He said the panel comprises Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana, Public Works Minister Rakesh Singh, Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Vishvas Sarang and Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Gaur, besides senior officials, who would hold discussions with representatives of farmer organisations.
“The government is continuously working in the interest of farmers. Their constructive suggestions will be heard, but we must also ensure that the public is not inconvenienced. We must find a way forward by balancing both interests. I hope the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and all farmer organisations will engage in dialogue for the larger good, leading to a resolution,” CM Yadav said.
The government’s outreach comes at a time when over 2,000 farmers, led by the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), reached Bhopal after their ‘Kisan Kranti Padayatra’ from Barkheda in Narmadapuram district to press for immediate procurement of moong at MSP.
The protesters are also demanding a legal guarantee for MSP, adequate availability of fertilisers and fulfilment of promises made to farmers.
On Tuesday, the protesters attempted to march towards the chief minister’s residence but were stopped by police, following which Agriculture Minister Kansana held preliminary discussions with farmer leaders. However, no breakthrough was achieved.
Backing the agitation, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari said the arrival of the farmers in Bhopal reflected widespread resentment against the BJP government.
“Thousands of farmers are on the streets of the capital with genuine demands, but the government is maintaining silence instead of listening to them,” Patwari said, demanding immediate talks and concrete decisions on the farmers’ demands.
Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath also criticised the state government, saying, “Selling crops at the MSP is every farmer’s right. Yet, far from granting them this right, the BJP government is not even willing to engage in a dialogue with them.”
The protest over moong procurement has emerged as a major political issue in Madhya Pradesh, with the opposition accusing the BJP government of failing to protect farmers’ interests, while the ruling dispensation maintains that it is committed to resolving the matter through dialogue with farmer organisations.
(IANS)
