SC moots panel to resolve farmers protest, orders border status quo
This story was originally published at 16:53 IST on 24 July 2024
Register to read our real-time news.Informist, Wednesday, Jul 24, 2024
NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court today proposed the constitution of an independent committee to look into the various demands of protesting farmers at the Punjab-Haryana border. The top court asked the governments of Punjab and Haryana to suggest some names for the committee, which could comprise eminent persons who could reach out to farmers and other stakeholders to find a viable solution to their demands.
The apex court said till the next week, both Punjab and Haryana were to maintain a status quo at the protest site to prevent the situation at the Shambhu border from flaring up. "Both the states will also submit a proposal for the removal of barricades in a phased manner so that no inconvenience is caused to the public at large," said an apex court bench of Justice Surya Kant, Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan.
The top court was hearing a petition by the Haryana government against the Punjab and Haryana High Court's Jul 10 order directing the state government to open the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border within a week. The border had been closed since February when several farmers from Punjab began their march towards Delhi for various demands, including one for a legal guarantee for minimum support price for all crops, based on the formula recommended by the M.S. Swaminathan Commission.
Thereafter, the Haryana government had barricaded the Ambala-New Delhi national highway to stop the march. The farmers have been camping at the border since then.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Haryana, said that over 500 to 600 tanks, which were modified as armoured tanks, were stationed at the site. If the farmers are allowed to travel to Delhi, a law and order situation may arise, said Mehta.
The top court asked why the state cannot open the border without permitting the travel of tractors and trolleys. "You need to make some effort, after all, you have to reach out to the farmers. Why would they otherwise need to come to Delhi?" said the apex court. Mehta said that farmers may come to Delhi, but not in tankers, JCBs.
The top court observed that there appeared to be a trust deficit between the government and protesting farmers. "Have you taken any initiative to negotiate with the farmers? Your ministers might go to the farmers without realising the local issues. There is a trust deficit. Why don't you have some neutral umpires? There have to be confidence-building measures," said the top court. To this, Mehta replied that only a sleeping person can be woken up and someone pretending to be asleep can't be woken up. The bench said that it will think of independent people who are neutral to the controversy for a solution to the issue. End
Reported by Surya Tripathi
Edited by Aditya Sakorkar
For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.
Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt Ltd.
Informist Media Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000
Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com
© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2024. All rights reserved.
To read more please subscribe
Share this Story:
