The Supreme Court on January 12 stayed the implementation of the three contentious farm laws until further orders and set up a committee to resolve the impasse between the farmers and the government.
The three judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said the committee which will be a part of judicial proceedings will submit its report, after listening to both the parties, in six months.
Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian were the other two judges of the bench.
"We think that this extraordinary order of stay of implementation of the farm laws will be perceived as an achievement of the purpose of such protests at least for the present and will encourage farmers' bodies to convince their members to get back to their livelihood," the court observed.
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The eleven-page judgement said having heard different perspectives, it deems fit to pass the 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
Some highlights from the operative part of the order are:
1) Three farm laws stand stayed until further orders
The implementation of the three farm laws 1) Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Act, 2020, 2) Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, and 3) Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, shall stand stayed until further orders.
2) MSP before the enactment of laws applicable
As a consequence, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) in existence before the enactment of the farm laws shall be maintained until further orders.
3) Farmers’ land protected
In addition, the farmers’ land holdings shall be protected i.e., no farmer shall be dispossessed or deprived of his title of any action taken under the farm laws.
4) Committee of agri-experts to listen to grievances
A committee comprising Bhupinder Singh Mann, national president Bhartiya Kisan Union; Pramod Kumar Joshi, Director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute; Ashok Gulati, Agricultural Economist; and Anil Ghanwant, president Shetkari Sangatana, is constituted for the purpose of listening to the grievances of farmers relating to the farm laws and views of the government and to make recommendations. The Committee shall be provided a place at Delhi and the government to bear its expenses and give it secretarial assistance.
5) Farmers opposing and supporting laws asked to participate
The representatives of all the farmers' bodies, whether they are holding a protest or not and whether they support or oppose the laws shall participate in the deliberations of the committee and put forth their view points.
6) Report to be submitted within two months
The committee shall, upon hearing the government and the representatives of farmers’ bodies, and other stakeholders, submit a report before this court containing its recommendations. This shall be done within two months from date of its first sitting. The first sitting shall be held within ten days from today.