Chandigarh, June 16
Even as Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and Haryana Government teams are slated to meet for a second round of talks tomorrow, government functionaries holding the negotiations have worked out a formula for giving compensation to the families of the BKU supporters who died in police firing recently.

The first round of the dialogue between the BKU and the government, held in Jind on Friday, remained inconclusive due to the two sides’ disagreement primarily over the issue of compensation to the families of the agitators and the BKU’s demand for the writing off of electricity arrears.

Official sources said that while the government would not be brought in to give compensation to the families of the deceased BKU supporters, compensation would be nevertheless disbursed through the party. “The INLD President, Mr Om Prakash Chautala (who also happens to be the Chief Minister) will give compensation to the families of the agitators”, the sources said.

“This is being done to underscore the correctness of the state government’s stand regarding the BKU-led road block”, the sources said. The amount of compensation, however, would not be Rs 10 lakh for each family, which was being demanded by the BKU, they said.

The official team has also worked out a lucrative offer regarding the BKU’s other major demand for the writing off of the electricity arrears. The official formula on this score is that cases of electricity theft pending against any farmer will be withdrawn if he settles for the scheme of 75 per cent waiver on the arrears. The BKU had demanded the cancellation of the cases of electricity theft pending against the farmers at the first round of talks on Friday.

The government offer will be presented formally before the BKU delegation at the second round of dialogue being held at the invitation of the BKU. The decision to invite the government to another round of talks followed a marathon meeting of the BKU executive held under the presidentship of Mr Ghasiram Nain at Kandela today. Asked whether the BKU would relax its stand on the writing off of the electricity arrears, the cryptic reply of Mr Nain, president of the BKU, was: “We have not budged from that stand so far”. On the threat by the BKU of stopping supplies to Delhi, Mr Nain said that this was not on the agenda of the BKU right now.

The government functionaries concerned said that they would be present in Jind for the meeting. A member of the government team said that he was in touch with Mr Nain on the telephone and expressed the hope that something positive might emerge from the meeting.