Centre keeps ‘air supply’ mode ready ahead of Tuesday’s 'bandh'

New Delhi: Air support will be on standby to ensure supply of essential goods and services in Delhi and the rest of the National Capital Region if roads and rail tracks get blocked during the ‘Bharat bandh’ on Tuesday called by farmers.

The ongoing farmers’ protest on the Delhi-NCR borders against the three new farm laws has not disrupted the supply of essential goods and services in the capital so far, though closure of some roads has led to traffic snarls, government officials said.

The union home ministry is monitoring the supply of essential services in the NCR under the Disaster Management Act that was pressed into action in March, soon after the lockdown was announced.


Five rounds of talks held between a government team led by agriculture minister NS Tomar and the agitating farmers have failed to resolve the impasse. The farmers had also rejected a home ministry offer to shift the venue of their agitation to a ground in Burari.

The Centre has proposed another round of meeting on December 9 and has asked for time from the unions to present a concrete proposal after further consultations.

On Saturday, the Centre said it was prepared to accept suggestions to amend the farm laws and give assurance on minimum support price. The government assured the farmers that there would be no changes to the MSP and that it would bring in a mechanism to strengthen the mandis operated by Agricultural Produce Market Committees.

The two sides are discussing issues like provision of dispute resolution and registration of traders in the proposed private mandis under the new laws, the officials said. Farmers are demanding that a special session of Parliament be convened and the new farm laws abolished. They also raised the issue of protecting land under the law on contract farming.