Chandigarh:
The Center will hold a meeting with the protesting farmers from Punjab in Chandigarh on February 14 to discuss their demands, a senior Union government official said on Saturday evening.
The breakthrough came after a delegation of Union Agriculture Ministry officials, led by Joint Secretary Priya Ranjan, met fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and held a meeting with the representatives of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
The central government delegation also urged Dallewal, whose fast unto death entered its 54th day on Saturday, to take medical help so that he can participate in the proposed meeting.
Speaking to reporters at the Khanauri protest site, Ranjan said the Center had sent a high-level delegation keeping in mind Dallewal's deteriorating health.
“We inquired about his health and held a meeting with the representatives (of protesting farmers' organisations),” Ranjan said.
He said the meeting will be held in Chandigarh on February 14.
“We urge him (Dallewal) to break his fast and take medical help so that he can participate in the rally,” he said.
Last year, four rounds of meetings had taken place between the central ministers and protesting farmers on February 8, 12, 15 and 18, but the talks had remained inconclusive.
Earlier in the day, farmers protesting at Khanauri and Shambhu border points between Punjab and Haryana said they have received a proposal from the central government which they will discuss.
Farmers have been camping under the banner of SKM (non-political) and KMM at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13 last year. The farmers pitched tents there after security forces refused to let them march to Delhi to press for their various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Farmer leader Dallewal, the SKM (non-political) chairman, has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border point since November 26 last year.
Farmers earlier said Dallewal's condition was 'critical'. Dallewal has lost about 20 kg and has refused any medical attention during his fast, they said.
On Saturday, another 10 farmers began a fast-to-death situation at the Khanauri border point. The number of fasting farmers has now increased to 121.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)