The Supreme Court-appointed committee on the three new farm laws will hold its first meeting on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court had on January 11 stayed the implementation of the three laws, against which farmers are protesting at Delhi borders for over 50 days now, till further orders and appointed a four-member panel to resolve the impasse. Bhartiya Kisan Union President Bhupinder Singh Mann, however, recused himself from the committee.
The 10th round of talks between the government and representatives of protesting farmers on controversial new farm laws, meanwhile, has been pushed back by a day to January 20, with the Centre saying both sides want to resolve the stalemate at the earliest but it was getting delayed due to involvement of people of other ideologies.
Here are Live Updates on Farmers’ protest:
10.02 am: Congress's Rahul Gandhi to hold a press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to hold a press conference today at the party headquarters in Delhi, and release a booklet over the three #FarmLaws of Central Government.
— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2021
(File photo) pic.twitter.com/0Od0JHVu4x
9.30 am: SC panel’s 1st meet today
The SC-appointed committee will hold its first meeting at Pusa campus in New Delhi today.
"We are going to meet tomorrow. Only members will meet to discuss the terms of reference and decide the future course of action," Ghanwat, president of Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) said.
The panel will hear views of farmers across the country, both who support and oppose the new farm laws, and submit a report within two months to the apex court.
10th round of talks postponed
Asserting that the new farm laws are in the interest of the farming community, the government said obstacles do come whenever good things or measures are taken and it is taking longer to resolve the issue as farmers' leaders want a solution their own way.
"Now the meeting will be held on January 20 at 2 pm at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Request you to attend the meeting," Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal said in a letter to 40 farmer unions.
What has happened so far?
The previous rounds of talks between the government and farmers have failed to reach any concrete results, as protesting unions have stuck to their main demand for repealing the new laws, but the government has refused to do so.
The Supreme Court told the Centre on Monday that the proposed tractor rally on the Republic Day by protesting farmers is a "law and order" matter and Delhi Police is the first authority to decide who should be allowed to enter the national capital.
Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, are protesting for nearly two-months at various Delhi borders against the three farm laws enacted by the central government in September 2020.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, while addressing a virtual event, reiterated that the three farm laws will be beneficial for farmers.