Punjab Govt, BKU Ekta-Ugrahan Agree 1-2 Month Timeline on Farmers' Demandsਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਤੇ ਭਾਕਿਯੂ ਏਕਤਾ ਉਗਰਾਹਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਿਸਾਨ ਮੰਗਾਂ 'ਤੇ 1-2 ਮਹੀਨਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਸਹਿਮਤੀ

The Punjab government and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) agreed on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, to resolve the union's accepted demands within a fixed timeframe of one to two months, after a marathon meeting in Chandigarh between a Group of Ministers and a union delegation led by Joginder Singh Ugrahan.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema told reporters after the meeting that the talks were held in a cordial atmosphere and produced a strong consensus on several issues. He said the state has already earmarked Rs 750 crore for crop damage compensation, with disbursal to affected farmers underway, and that the government will push for the withdrawal of the small number of cases still pending against farmers from past agitations.

Who took part in the meeting?

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann deputed a Group of Ministers comprising Cheema, Aman Arora and Gurmeet Singh Khudian. Additional Chief Secretary for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Anurag Verma and senior officers from several departments joined them. The discussions were based on a memorandum submitted by the union. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) representatives at the meeting included Jhanda Singh Jethuke, Shingara Singh Mann and Jagtar Singh Kalajhar, among others.

What was agreed on FIRs against farmers?

Cheema said a significant number of FIRs registered against farmers during past agitations have already been cancelled by the state. For the roughly 13 to 16 cases still pending in various courts, he said the government has prepared a stage-wise legal framework to facilitate their prompt withdrawal.

What was said on crop compensation?

On the union's demand for a dedicated budget for crop damage, Cheema said Rs 750 crore has already been earmarked and that payments to affected farmers are underway. The meeting also discussed compensation for tenant farmers, and the ministers took what Cheema described as a sympathetic view of cultivators who have tilled land for decades without formal ownership rights.

What happens on issues pending with the Centre?

Cheema assured the union that major agrarian issues pending with the central government will be raised strongly in the upcoming session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. He said the government shared with the union copies of resolutions passed in previous Assembly sessions and sent to the Union government opposing international agricultural trade agreements the state considers detrimental, as well as the contentious Electricity Bill.

Why does this meeting matter?

The talks follow the union's statewide agitation earlier this month, which was called off on October 6 after the government invited the union for the October 13 meeting on its charter of demands. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) is one of Punjab's largest and most mobilisation-capable farmer unions, so a time-bound agreement, with outcomes expected between mid-November and mid-December, will be tested first on two visible promises: the FIR withdrawals and the Rs 750 crore compensation disbursal.

What was decided at the October 13 farmers meeting?

The government and BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) agreed to resolve the union's accepted demands within one to two months, covering FIR withdrawals, crop compensation and tenant farmer issues.

How much compensation has Punjab set aside?

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said Rs 750 crore has been earmarked for crop damage compensation and that disbursal to affected farmers is already underway.

How many FIRs against farmers are still pending?

Cheema said roughly 13 to 16 cases remain pending in various courts, and the government has prepared a stage-wise legal framework to push for their withdrawal. Many earlier cases have already been cancelled, he said.