Govt agrees to hold talks with farmers' body

Jaipur: The state govt agreed to hold talks with representatives of farmers ' group, Kisan Mahapanchayat, which was planning to hold Annadaata Hunkar rally on Oct 6 at Shipra Path, Mansarovar, Jaipur. The group decided to postpone the rally after the decision.

Three days prior to the rally, Jaipur police commissioner Biju George Joseph invited farmer leader Rampal Jat and representatives of Kisan Mahapanchayat for discussions with Raj govt officials on behalf of the govt. Subsequently, approval was granted for Jat to hold talks with the chief minister or the chief secretary. The Kisan Mahapanchayat representatives agreed to engage in talks with chief secretary Sudhansh Pant.

"Based on the preparations of Kisan Mahapanchayat across Rajasthan for the past three months and police intelligence reports, discussions were ongoing for the past two days regarding the govt's invitation for dialogue with Kisan Mahapanchayat," said Jat.

"Following this, the second round of talks will be held after the chief secretary returns from his foreign tour on Oct 6," he added.

The farmers demanded that stray animals across Rajasthan are bringing farms to the brink of destruction. The govt should set an example by removing pigs from Newai tehsil and utilise 10,000 bigha land at Banetha-Kakod for constructing a cattle sanctuary. The Newai area should be connected through a canal system from Bisalpur Dam or Isarda Dam.

Other demands include that the Rajasthan govt should amend the notification in the Land Acquisition Act to provide compensation of Rs 20 lakh instead of Rs 5 lakh to Isarda Dam displaced persons. Awards issued to Bisalpur Dam displaced should have the timeline extended to 2027 instead of 2017. Basic facilities should be provided to Bisalpur displaced families.

It also includes making crop cutting assessment public under crop insurance, cancelling double revenue settlement due to discrepancies, and canal cleaning at Bisalpur and Galwa Dam in April-May.

Others include that compensation for Nagarfort and Uniyara farmers for the year 2023-2024 should be given from the disaster relief fund, and preparing and distributing compensation for the entire district for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026.

Demands at the state level include MSP to be guaranteed by law, not to reserve water for drinking in small dams, each village service cooperative society should be made a purchase centre, and fertiliser distribution should be done through RAJFED as before 2017.