Punjab:
Farmers agitating against land acquisition for the Govindpura (Mansa) thermal plant in Punjab have suspended their agitation till September 13 after talks between them and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Following a three-hour-long marthon meeting between the leaders of 17 farmers' unions and Badal, the latter announced a status quo on the power plant.
"Chief Minister has assured us that he will try and find out a way to resolve the issue of 171 acres which the farmers are not ready to give up at any cost," Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, general secretary BKU (Ugrahan) said.
Badal has assured us that he will initiate the process to return the land to the owners, he said.
"The Chief Minister has also announced that police force from 171 acres will be reomved, bus service to the village will be started again and the farmers of the 171 acres of land have been given the go head to till their land," Kalan said.
Badal has said that the farm labourers who have been affected due to the acquisition will also be compensated, he said.
"After these assurances we have also decided to suspend our agitations till September 13. Next meeting will be held with the CM in Chandigarh," the farmers' leader said.
"In case the promises are not met with we will relaunch our struggle," he added.