Punjab farmers protesting on Wednesday said they would meet CM Bhagwant Mann to rectify their demands, including wheat bonuses and rice planting, from June 10. The farmer leader said DC Mohali and the Senior SP had invited them to meet the CM in Chandigarh.

Bharti Kisan Union (Sidhupur) state president Jagjit Singh Dallewal said they will ask for rectification on various issues of farmers at the meeting. However, he said farmers’ protests at the Chandigarh-Mohali border would continue. “We will announce the results of the meeting later. As many as 36 farmers leaders who travelled to Punjab by bus will participate in the meeting,” a farmers leader said.

Dozens of Punjabi farmers protested against various government demands but were prevented from travelling to Chandigarh on Tuesday night, spending time on the Chandigarh-Mohali Road near Mohali YPS chowk. Farmers loyal to various farmer groups in Punjab were prevented from travelling to the state capital on Tuesday, forcing the AAP government to meet their various demands. After being pulled over by Mohali police, the farmers squatted on the road and stopped their cars. They spent the night on Chandigarh-Mohali Road near YPS chowk.

The protesting farmers carried rations, beds, fans, coolers, appliances, fuel tanks and other items. The farmers have given the government an ultimatum and said they will travel to Chandigarh to break barricades and hold indefinite protests if Mann does not meet them by Wednesday.

On Tuesday, CM Mann called the farmers’ protests “unfounded and unpopular” and asked the farmers’ union to stop promoting slogans and join hands with the state government to stop Punjab from draining its groundwater. He also said his gates were set up for farmers to negotiate, but “empty slogans” could not shake his resolve to check for further water table depletion. A large police force is deployed on the Chandigarh-Mohali border. Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu said farmers’ demands for wheat bonuses are real.

Several farmers’ unions linked to Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) have called for an indefinite protest in Chandigarh, citing year-long riots at the Delhi border against the centre’s three farming laws, which have been repealed due to farmers’ continuous protests. Among their various demands, farmers want a bonus of Rs 500 per quintal of wheat as unprecedented heatwave conditions have led to lower and shrinking wheat production.

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They also objected to the Punjab government’s decision to allow paddy sowing in a staggered fashion from June 18 to reduce the electricity burden and protect groundwater. The protesters want the government to allow them to sow rice from June 10. They want to issue MSP notifications for maize, moong and basmati. The farmers also asked the government to expand the electricity load from Rs 4,800 to Rs 1,200 for 10-12 hours and reduce the cost of paying unpaid sugar cane bills. They are also against installing smart meters.