Chandigarh, June 7 -- Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday urged the state farmers to reconsider their decision to boycott meetings with the Centre that include representatives of the Punjab Government. Stressing the federal nature of Indian democracy, Chouhan asserted that "the state government cannot be ignored" in any discussions meant to resolve farmers' issues, since it is ultimately the state machinery that implements agricultural policies and welfare schemes.
Chouhan was on a day-long visit to Punjab, where he interacted with farmers at Kheri Gandian village on the Patiala-Rajpura road, and later addressed an agricultural gathering at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Rauni village on...