Farmers’ protest: SC panel on agri laws to hold first meet on 19 Jan
- The apex court had on 11 January stayed the implementation of the contentious farm laws until further notice
- A four-member committee was also constituted to resolve the impasse between the farmers and the central government
The Supreme Court-appointed committee on the three new farm laws will hold its first meeting on 19 January to decide the future course of action, its member Anil Ghanwat said on Sunday.
"We are meeting on January 19 at the Pusa campus. Only members will meet to decide the future course of action," Ghanwat, President of Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra), told PTI.
The apex court had on 11 January stayed the implementation of the contentious farm laws, against which several farmers' unions have been protesting at Delhi borders from 26 November last year.
A four-member committee was also constituted to resolve the impasse between the farmers and the central government.
The committee consisted of Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann, Anil Ghanwat, and agri-economists Ashok Gulati and Pramod Kumar Joshi.
However, shortly after this, Bhupinder Singh recused himself from the committee and said “I will always stand with my farmers and Punjab”.
In a statement Thursday, 81-year-old Mann, a former Rajya Sabha member, said he was “thankful to Hon’ble Supreme Court of India for nominating” him to the committee.
“As a farmer myself and a Union leader, in view of the prevailing sentiments and apprehensions amongst the farm unions and the public in general, I am ready to sacrifice any position offered or given to me so as to not compromise the interests of Punjab and farmers of the country,” he said.
The Supreme Court may take into account the matter of recusal of the member from the panel on Monday when it is scheduled to hear the pleas relating to the controversial farm laws and the farmers' protests.
Ghanwat said that if the apex court does not appoint a new member, the existing members will continue. He added that the committee has received the terms of reference and will begin its work from 21 January.
Asked about the government holding parallel talks with protesting farmer unions after the setting up of the SC panel, he said, "We have no issue if a solution is found and the protests end from either (efforts of) our panel or from the government's separate talks with the protesting farmer unions."
"Let (Government) them continue the discussion, we have been given a duty and we will focus on that," he added.
So far, the government has held nine rounds of formal talks with 41 farmer unions but has failed to break the logjam as the latter have stuck to their main demand of a complete repeal of the three Acts.
In the last meeting, the Centre had suggested that the unions constitute their own informal group to prepare a concrete proposal on the three farm laws for further discussion at their next meeting on January 19 to end the long-running protest at various Delhi borders.
The tenth meeting between the farmers and the government is also scheduled to be held on 19 January.
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First Published:17 Jan 2021, 06:22 PM IST
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