Chandigarh:  Punjab’s Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Monday met with the farmers gathered here under the banner of BKU (Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU), received a memorandum and assured the farmers that their welfare remains the topmost priority for the government.

Reiterating the state government’s commitment to support the farmers, Khudian pledged that their demands would be deliberated with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

The minister also invited the farmers for a talk with the government, emphasising the Bhagwant Mann-led government’s eagerness to engage with the farmers, listen to their perspectives and address their issues and concerns effectively.

“The Punjab government is dedicated to ensuring the wellbeing and prosperity of its farmers, who are the backbone of the state’s economy, ” Khudian told the media after meeting the farmers.

“This meeting marks the opening up of dialogue between the government and the farming community, aimed at finding solutions to their challenges and empowering them to thrive in an ever-evolving agricultural landscape, ” he said.

The Minister also said that the government remains steadfast in its mission to support and uplift the farming community, recognising their contributions to the state’s economy and society.

The government is committed to working collaboratively with the farmers to address their concerns and ensure their continued prosperity, he added.

Thousands of farmers and farm labourers belonging to the Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a group of 37 unions, camped here to protest the failure of the AAP government in implementing the agriculture policy.

Farmers belonging to the BKU (Ugrahan) marched towards the Punjab Assembly, which is assembling for a three-day long Monsoon Session, to lodge their protest.

Under the banner of BKU (Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, the protesters were allowed to stage a protest at the camping site. As per their plan, the farmers are expected to camp here till September 5, the day they decide their future course of action.

Besides the implementation of the agriculture policy, the demands of the BKU (Ugrahan) include delay in land distribution to the landless labourers and farmers, and loan waiver of farmers and labourers.