Chandigarh, April 8:
Punjab’s arhtiyas, on Wednesday, called off their week-long strike after a meeting with Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian and Water Resources Minister Mr. Barinder Kumar Goyal, paving the way for wheat procurement to resume in the state mandis.
On the directions of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, S. Khudian and Mr. Goyal held detailed discussions with a delegation of arhtiyas, led by Federation of Arhtiyas Association of Punjab president Vijay Kalra, on their various demands here at Kisan Bhawan.
Following the state government’s assurance of a sympathetic consideration and the resolution of genuine issues of arhtiyas, the federation announced the immediate withdrawal of the strike.
S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian stated, “The inclement weather conditions have hit our farmers hard. There is no doubt that all of us — the government, arhtiyas and other stakeholders — survive and thrive only because of our farmers. No one can single-handedly shield against the hardships ordained by nature, but together we can certainly stand by each other.”
He further assured the arhtiyas that his doors were always open for dialogue, while stating, “It is not necessary that we always hold a big formal meeting to resolve issues. Even small, sincere conversations can solve big problems. If any arhtiya or farmer faces any difficulty, just let me know. We will sit together and find a solution.”
Welcoming Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government’s proactive approach, Vijay Kalra said, “We are a family. Families resolve their differences through dialogue and the farmer remains our priority.”
Directing the officials to ensure a smooth, transparent and hassle-free wheat procurement, S. Khudian reiterated the CM Mann led Punjab government’s unwavering commitment to safeguard the interests of farmers while ensuring that the legitimate concerns of arhtiyas will be addressed at the earliest.
