Report not given attention: SC panel member to SC on farm laws

As farmer groups continue to protest against the three contentious farm laws and scores gathered at a new grain mandi to attend the Kisan Mahapanchayat in Haryana's Karnal on Tuesday, one of the members on the Supreme Court constituted committee on the farm laws has written to Chief Justice N.V. Ramana seeking release of the panel's report into public domain and sharing it with the government.

Anil Ghanwat, president Shetkari Sanghatana, in a letter to the CJI said: "The report addressed all apprehensions of the farmers. The committee was confident that the recommendations will pave the way to resolve the on-going farmers' agitation" that started on November 26, 2020.

Ghanwat emphasized that as a member of the committee, especially representing the farmers' community, he is pained that the issue raised by the farmers has not been resolved so far and the agitation is continuing.

"I feel that the report has not been given any attention by the Supreme Court.

"I am humbly pleading the Supreme Court to kindly release the report for implementation of its recommendations for peaceful resolution of the stalemate to the farmers satisfaction at the earliest," said Ghanwat.

The top court had suspended the implementation of the three farm laws and constituted a committee to report on these laws on January 12, this year.

Ghanwat was nominated as one of the members of the committee to represent the farming community.

The committee was given two months to submit its report on the three laws. The committee, after consulting a large number of farmers and several stakeholders submitted its report before the March 19 deadline.

"The committee incorporated the opinions and suggestions of all stakeholders with the aim of maximum benefit to the farmers.

The committee initially comprised of four members: Bhupinder Singh Mann, National President, Bhartiya Kisan Union and All India Kisan Coordination Committee; Dr. Parmod Kumar Joshi, Agricultural Economist, Director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute; Ashok Gulati, Agricultural Economist and Former Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices; and Anil Ghanwat, President, Shetkari Sanghatana. Mann resigned later.

The committee had also sought views, and suggestions of the general public through a public notice, which was published in major newspapers.

"We are of the view that the constitution of a committee of experts in the field of agriculture to negotiate between the farmers' bodies and the government of India may create a congenial atmosphere," the top court had then said in its order.

The Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of three farm laws: 1) Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; (2) Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020; and (3) Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020.

Justifying the stay on implementation of farm laws, the top court had said: "We deem it fit to pass the following interim order, with the hope and expectation that both parties will take this in the right spirit and attempt to arrive at a fair, equitable and just solution to the problems."