In Emergency Meet, Punjab Ministers Pass Resolution In Support Of Farmers
Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi today called an emergency meeting of the newly reconstituted Council of Ministers in view of the ''Bharat Bandh''.

The bandh call was given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) in protest against the three farm laws.

According to a statement issued by the Punjab Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the Council of Ministers passed a resolution expressing solidarity with the farmers and their demands.

Terming these laws as "anti-farmers" and "anti-food security", Mr Channi said these laws are a potent threat to the livelihood of farmers and their future generations.

The Chief Minister said that the earlier resolutions passed by the State Assembly in support of the state farmers' demand to repeal these laws should be conceded by the Centre forthwith without any further delay.

The press statement read that the state government had earlier also categorically reiterated its commitment to the resolutions passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on August 28, 2020, and October 20, 2020, emphasising that all the genuine demands of the farmers must be accepted.

It urged the Centre to "repeal the Farm Laws as Agriculture is a State Subject under the Constitution of India, and to make Minimum Support Price (MSP) a statutory right".

It welcomed the Supreme Court order staying the central legislation as an acknowledgement of the concerns of the farmers of Punjab who are protesting against the farm laws.

"There is a need for broad-based dialogue and proper consultation with all stakeholders as these legislations impact the future of millions of farmers across the country, and all genuine demands of the farmers must be accepted," it said.

Expressing solidarity with the families of farmers who lost their lives during the ongoing agitation, the Chief Minister stressed the need to win over their confidence as the Congress government has always stood firmly in support of their demands from day one.

He asked all the ministers to visit the houses of the dead farmers to deliver appointment letters for government jobs to their family members. He said nearly 155 such appointment letters are ready and should be delivered to them within a week.

Taking cognizance of the resentment among the farmers for getting inadequate compensation in view of their land acquired by the various government agencies, Mr Channi directed the Chief Secretary to explore ways to rationalise the quantum of compensation to be awarded to the farmers.