Over 850 academicians back farm laws: Official

New Delhi: An agriculture ministry official on Friday claimed that “more than 850 academicians and researchers from leading universities and institutes have signed in support of the new farm laws, saying that they will change farmers’ fortune”.

Ruling out repeal of the three laws, the official said: “We are just looking at how to engage farmers in dialogues. The government will offer to amend rules as per their wishes. On MSP, the government may offer something which can interest them.”

“The government has accepted two of their demands. Now, it will ask farmers to go easy on the other two. The consensus on decriminalisation of stubble burning and to continue the current mechanism of providing subsidised power for agricultural use may appease farmers of western UP who mostly grow sugarcane, which already has a guaranteed price,” the official said.


“The challenge will be to engage farmers in dialogues without offering the solution they want. It will test the government's persuasion power,” the official said.