Haryana Health Officials To Hold Meeting With Protesting Farmers At Delhi Border Regarding Covid-19 Vaccination

A week after the state health minister Anil Vij announced that the protesting farmers at Delhi-Haryana borders will be tested and vaccinated, the state health department officials are planning to meet the protesters to talk about their Covid-19 tests and vaccination, reports LiveMint.

"Officers of the state health department to hold a meeting today evening with farmers, sitting in protests at Haryana borders, regarding their Covid-19 testing and vaccination. The department will begin the work after the farmer leaders agree," said Minister Anil Vij.

"It is my duty to worry about everyone in Haryana. Farmers are protesting here in large numbers. We have decided to vaccinate them and get them tested for COVID-19. Yesterday, we had a meeting with the state-level corona monitoring committee, wherein we took this decision," Vij was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

On the other hand, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said that several farmers are struggling with getting the second dose of the vaccine. He added that vaccine officers were requested to camp at the protest sites.

Farmers, particularly from the states of Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting for the last five months by blocking the highways leading to Delhi. They are demanding the repeal of three agriculture reform laws enacted by the Modi government.

The three laws are Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance, and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.