Chandigarh: Farmers protesting at the Chandigarh-Mohali border called off their agitation on Monday evening after the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government gave a written assurance accepting several key demands of the farmer unions. Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian handed over the written assurance to representatives of the protesting farmers.
As per the agreement, the Punjab government will convene a special session of the Vidhan Sabha within a month to pass resolutions on key issues and forward them to the Centre. These include reconsideration of decades-old water-sharing agreements, repeal of Sections 78, 79 and 80 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act to restore the state’s riparian rights, annulment of the Dam Safety Act and withdrawal of the Seed Bill, 2025.
Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said the government remained committed to the welfare of farmers and believed that issues could be resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding. The minister also announced that an One-Time Settlement (OTS) policy would be formulated for outstanding farmer loans, particularly those taken from cooperative banks and societies. A committee comprising representatives of all political parties will be constituted to work out the policy.
On sugarcane pricing, Minister Khudian said Punjab would continue to provide the highest sugarcane price in the country. He said the process for fixing the price had been initiated. The government further assured farmers that pending dues from private sugar mills would be cleared in a time-bound manner. The “One Window, One Payment” system, currently applicable to cooperative mills, will also be extended to private mills.
For the remaining demands of the farmer unions, Khudian said a joint committee of senior government officers and farmer representatives will examine the demands and work towards their early resolution.
