BATHINDA: When the farm outfit leaders meet the team of central ministers on Sunday evening for the scheduled fourth round of talks, they will demand an ordinance giving a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, as per recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission and a show of intent by the Centre on waiving farm debt, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha convener Sarvan Singh Pandher said on Saturday.

Pandher said the central govt was trying to build a perception that huge sums of money were needed for providing MSP and it would push up inflation. Referring to the estimate of Rs 10 lakh crore doing the rounds, he said this would be a major part of total expenditure of Rs 45 lakh crore for 2023-24. “We are ready to discuss all these things and let the govt come out with an ordinance to provide benefits of MSP to farmers within the legal framework that it will enact a law on MSP, and then discussion can proceed further.”