Punjab farmer unions have sharply criticised the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for blindly opposing the Central government’s E20 policy. During a Kisan Vidhan Sabha held in Chandigarh, the unions urged the state dispensation to abandon mere political posturing, engage in constructive dialogue with the Centre, and ensure that policy shifts do not adversely impact Punjab’s farmers economically. They stressed that if the policy affects crop demand, procurement, or prices, adequate compensation and alternative arrangements must be guaranteed in advance. The session served as a scathing indictment of the AAP government’s governance model. Participating leaders asserted that opposing policies just for the sake of opposition is not a solution, urging the state to present farmers' genuine concerns regarding E20 to the Union Government while actively guaranteeing markets and fair prices for diversification crops like maize and sugarcane. "Opposing the E20 policy just for the sake of opposition is not a solution. The challenges it poses to Punjab’s farmers and agricultural sector specifically regarding crop demand, procurement, pricing, marketing, and farmer income must be thoroughly understood and addressed. The state government must engage with the Central Government to ensure that the E20 policy or any associated policy shifts do not adversely impact Punjab’s farmers economically. If the policy affects crop demand, procurement, or prices, adequate compensation and alternative arrangements for farmers must be guaranteed in advance,” read the resolution issued by the kisaan vidhan sabha. 16 farmer unions participated in the kisan vidhan sabha organised by Azad Kisaan Morcha in Chandigarh. "The Punjab Government should present farmers' concerns regarding E20 to the Union Government and take concrete steps to resolve them. Simultaneously, crop diversification must be promoted by ensuring guaranteed markets, fair prices, and procurement guarantees for crops like paddy, maize, sugarcane, and others, so that farmers do not suffer financial losses due to policy changes. The Kisan Vidhan Sabha believes that instead of blindly opposing policies, practical and farmer-friendly solutions should be developed by identifying the underlying issues,” the resolution added. Beyond the E20 policy, the Kisan Vidhan Sabha highlighted a growing pattern of state apathy, slamming the Mann administration on a wide range of critical issues affecting Punjab. The vidhan sabha also highlighted the issue of MSP & Moong Procurement Failures by the Punjab government, “The assembly slammed the state government's persistent failure to procure crops at MSP, particularly Moong, holding that mere announcements have brought zero ground-level relief. They demanded a fully accountable, transparent procurement mechanism.” Moreover the farmer unions also raised urged for attention towards Condemnation of police high-handedness, delayed crop damage compensation, lack of institutionalized dialogue, unchecked drug menace and sacrilege incidents. "Expressing outrage over repeated lathicharges, teargas, water cannons, and arrests used against protesting farmers and MGNREGA workers in Khanna, the unions condemn the government's oppressive tactics to stifle peaceful protests. The assembly criticised the state's administrative delays in distributing compensation for flood and calamity damages, demanding a time-bound girdawari (loss assessment) and disbursement framework free of bureaucratic hurdles,” the resolution asserted. “The unions demand a permanent, structured mechanism for regular policy consultations and a politically uninfluenced action against major drug kingpins, alongside enhanced rehabilitation and employment drives for affected youth,” the resolution read. Deeply concerned over unaddressed sacrilege incidents involving Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the farmer union called for swift, unbiased investigations and strict punishment for culprits without political interference. Concluding the session, the Kisan Vidhan Sabha passed a unanimous resolution demanding that the Bhagwant Mann government immediately stop ignoring public grievances and issue a time-bound Action Plan to address these long-standing issues. Mohit Bhatt is a Principal Correspondent at Times Now. A seasoned journalist with over 10 years of experience, Mohit specialises in political reportin... View More