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Agreement on farmers' issue after talks with Raje

Special Correspondent

Government accepts most of the demands in the 12-point charter

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Government and the farmers led by the All India Kisan Sabha entered into an agreement on Thursday averting a showdown here in the State Capital by thousands of farmers who have been camping in the City on a "padaav''(siege) since September 1 demanding a rollback of the enhanced rates of electricity to farm connections.

With this, the proposed march by farmers to the residence of the Chief Minister at Civil Lines did not take place. Tension was perceptible in the City with rumours breaking out from time to time that the talks had failed and the farmers would any time carry out their threat of a `kooch' (march). By evening, as it rained, the good news spread around Amriton Ka Bagh where the "padav'' was laid that an agreement has been reached.

The farmers, almost at the tether of their wits, waiting and living under the sky for more than a week, hugged one another as Vasudev, State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) announced the breakthrough. "It is a historical victory for farmers,'' Amra Ram, CPI(M) MLA claimed.

The truce came on the eighth day of the unprecedented, volatile farmers' surge to the City, with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje herself taking the initiative. Ms.Raje, who had cancelled her scheduled trip to Pali with Bharatiya Janata Party president L.K.Advani during the day held the final round of talks with the representatives of AIKS.

"On my behalf, please congratulate the farmers for their discipline,'' Ms.Raje told the farmers' leaders at the end of the successful talks.

Prior to that the Group of Ministers led by Education Minister Ghanshyam Tiwari reached an overall agreement on most of the 12 demands made by farmers represented by Sheopath Singh, president of AIKS Rajasthan, Amra Ram, vice-president and others at the talks.

Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria, Irrigation Minister Sanwarlal Jat, Public Works Department Minister Rajendra Rathore, Health Minister Digamber Singh and Minister of State for Energy Rajendra Singh Kheevsar participated in the talks.

As per the agreement, the revised rates for farm connections would be frozen till a Cabinet committee studies the issue holding wide ranging consultations and submits its report to the Chief Minister. Looking into the drought conditions in the State no penalties would be collected from farmers on the pending bills.

"The Government has agreed on eight hours of power supply during the next crop season and also conceded the demand for converting all farm connections to a uniform common category,'' Mr.Ram said. "Most of the demands in the 12-point charter have been accepted in principle,'' he pointed outPerhaps a major aspect of the farmers' victory is the fact that they could elicit a promise from the Government to free about 700-odd persons who are lodged in jails in connection with the agitation for irrigation water in the Indira Gandhi Canal Phase I area.

"All the cases registered against them would be withdrawn and the agreement reached between the farmers and the Government on December 11, 2004 would be implemented in letter and spirit,'' Mr.Ram said.

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