Chandigarh, June 18
The Haryana Government and the BKU apparently have divergent views about the outcome of the second round of dialogues between the government team and the BKU delegation at Jind yesterday.

Following yesterday’s meeting, the BKU decided to withdraw the road blockades, which was a major breakthrough for the government as the primary focus of its team had been to persuade the BKU to lift the blockades.

In return, the government offered adequate compensation for those killed or injured in police action during the agitation.

However, while the government maintains that the talks were of conclusive nature, resulting in an “agreement” with the BKU, this is being opposed by the latter.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Sampat Singh, Finance Minister of Haryana and chairman of the committee constituted for addressing grievances of farmers, thanked the farmers in general and the BKU in particular for making yesterday’s talks a success.

The Finance Minister, who led the government team, said an “agreement” with the BKU had been reached.

He said following the BKU’s decision to lift the blockades, movement of traffic had been restored.

Mr Ghasiram Nain, BKU supremo, who led the delegation, however, said it was an interim arrangement, adding that it did not signify an end of the agitation. “ We have only called off the road block part of the agitation as it was also causing problems to the public”, he said.

Mr Nain said two major issues would have to be sorted out before the agitation was withdrawn. These were the issued of writing off of pending electricity arrears and the rate of agricultural tariff.