Haryana khaps to back stir if unions unite

UNION Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday appointed nodal officers to assess the farmers' agitation in Punjab and Haryana, work towards easing tensions, and prevent the situation from spreading to other states.

- HARPREET BAJWA @Chandigarh

According to reports, the farmers' organisations close to the RSS, during the weekly meeting, urged Singh to take measures to prevent the protest from spreading to other states.

A source stated, "There is a need for an official coordination team to oversee farmers' affairs across the states". Currently, the senior officers limit themselves to their respective divisions and interact with state governments. Around 20 senior officials, including Joint Secretaries, Additional Secretaries, advisers, and commissioners have been assigned responsibilities of one or two states each.

"These officers will regularly interact with state officers and address emerging farmers' issues through respective schemes," said the source.