Center to hold meeting with protesting farmers on February 14

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The Centre will hold a meeting with Punjab's protesting farmers on February 14 in Chandigarh to discuss their demands, a senior official of the Union government said on Saturday evening.


The breakthrough came after a delegation of officials from the Union Agriculture Ministry, led by joint secretary Priya Ranjan, met fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and held a meeting with the representatives of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.


The central government delegation also urged Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered 54th day on Saturday, to take medical aid so that he can participate in the proposed meeting.


Speaking to reporters at the Khanauri protest site, Ranjan said a high-level delegation was sent by the Centre keeping in mind the deteriorating health of Dallewal.


"We enquired about his health and held a meeting with the representatives (of protesting farmer bodies)," said Ranjan.


He said that the meeting will be held in Chandigarh on February 14.


"We urge him (Dallewal) to break his fast, take medical aid so that he can participate in the meeting," he said.


Four rounds of meetings had taken place between the Central ministers and protesting farmers on February 8, 12, 15 and 18 last year, but talks had remained inconclusive.


Earlier in the day, farmers protesting at the Khanauri and Shambhu border points between Punjab and Haryana said they have received a proposal from the central government which they will discuss.


Farmers, under the banner of the SKM (Non-Political) and KMM, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13 last year. The farmers pitched their tents there after security forces refused to allow them to march to Delhi to press for their various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.


Farmer leader Dallewal, the convener of the SKM (Non-Political), has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border point since November 26 last year.


Farmers earlier said Dallewal's condition is "critical". Dallewal has lost about 20kg and has refused any medical aid during his fasting, they said.


On Saturday, 10 more farmers began a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point. The number of fasting farmers has now increased to 121. 
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News Agency staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)