SC panel holds discussion with 18 stakeholders on Farm Laws; Amul, ITC, FCI share views

The Supreme Court-appointed Committee on the Farm Laws held another round of discussions via video-conferencing on Tuesday with over 18 different stakeholders in the agriculture sector. As per the Committee, a detailed discussion was held online and in-person with top organizations including Amul, ITC, FCI, Sugna Foods, Horticulture Produce Exporters Association, All India Rice Miller Association, etc over the agriculture reforms. 

The members of the Committee namely Dr. Ashok Gulati along with Anil Ghanwat and Dr. Pramod Joshi requested all stakeholders to give their detailed views on the three farm Laws which were noted by the SC panel. 

Read: SC-constituted Panel Holds Talks With 32 Farm Unions From 9 States Even As Stir Continues

Read: BKU President Bhupinder Singh Mann Recuses Himself From Supreme Court's Farmers Stir Panel

SC panel holds meeting with farmers 

Previously, the Supreme Court-constituted committee had held multiple rounds of talks with farmers' unions across the country from February 3-5 to resolve the standoff over the Farm Laws. It had also held detailed discussions with top officials of State Marketing Boards, Private Mandi Operators and Food Parks of Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tripura, and Uttar Pradesh.

This comes after the top court on January 12, stayed the implementation of the reforms and made it clear that the MSP system would continue. Thereafter, a 4-member committee was formed by the SC to mediate with the farmer leaders and resolve the months-long agitation comprising agricultural economist Ashok Gulati, BKU national president Bhupinder Singh Mann, Pramod Kumar Joshi- Director, South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute, and Shetkari Sanghatana president Anil Ghanwat.

However, shortly after its formation, BKU national president Bhupinder Singh Mann recused himself from the panel saying that  he will not consider any offer in order to "not compromise with the interests of Punjab and farmers of the country." 

At present, the talks between the Union government and the farmers' unions are at a standstill. The farmer unions are protesting against The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. 

Read: Pro-Khalistan Mo Dhaliwal 'Toolkit' Opposes Deep Sidhu's Arrest Over Republic Day Riot

Read: Susan Sarandon Reiterates Support To Farmers, Says 'Corporate Greed Knows No Bounds'