SC-appointed committee to meet farmers on Jan 21

New Delhi: As the farmers’ agitation at various entry points of the national capital entered the 55th day, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee met here on Tuesday at the Pusa Agriculture Institute, for the first round of consolation and decided to hold its first round of consultation with farmers and other stakeholders on January 21.

The three-member Committee consists of Anil Ganvat, Ashok Gulati and Pramod Joshi. Fourth member Bhupinder Man had rescued himself from the committee, a day after the apex court constituted it.
 
Talking to the media after the meeting, Mr Joshi said they will approach the farmer unions to know their views on these three agriculture Bills on January 21. The Government has already said that they will reach out to the Committee, once they were called.
 
Responding to a question the Committee members were writing in favour of these farm Bills, Mr Joshi said that all three members were neutral and they will convey the opinions of the farmers as well as the Government in the report, not theirs in two months, as directed by the Court.
 
He also said that the committee was contemplating on creating a website, where the concerned stakeholders can drop their suggestions.
 
The Committee members on Tuesday chalked out the policies for function and deliberated on the proposed task.
 
On January 20, the Supreme Court will continue its hearing on the farm laws; therefore, the committee has initiated its proceedings as mandated, a committee member said.     
 
Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, are staging a sit-in protest along the Delhi borders. The protest started on November 26. The farmers are demanding a complete rollback of the new farm reform laws and a guarantee on the Minimum Support Price. (UNI)