The committee appointed by the Supreme Court to mediate between protesting farmers and government is expected to hold its first meeting on January 19 at Pusa campus in New Delhi, one of the members Anil Ghanwat said on Sunday. The panel has no qualms if the government holds parallel talks with farmer leaders, he added.
The apex court had constituted a four-member committee on January 11 after staying the implementation of the new farm laws, which had led to protests by thousands of farmers across Delhi borders since November. The panel is expected to resolve the impasse between the centre and farmer leaders as talks between the two have failed to yield results after nine rounds of negotiations.
Apart from Ghanwat, agri-economists Ashok Gulati and Pramod Kumar Joshi are the two other panel members. The fourth member Bhupinder Singh Maan, president of Bhartiya Kisan Union, had recused himself from the committee last week.
"We are meeting on January 19 at the Pusa campus. Only members will meet to decide the future course of action," Ghanwat, President of Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra), told PTI.
One of the four members has backed out of the committee. If the apex court does not appoint a new member, the existing members will continue, he said.
The committee has received the terms of reference and will begin the work from January 21 onwards, he added.
Asked about the government holding parallel talks with protesting farmer unions after the setting up of the SC panel, he said, "We have no issue if a solution is found and the protests end from either (efforts of) our panel or from the government's separate talks with the protesting farmer unions."
"Let (Government) them continue the discussion, we have been given a duty and we will focus on that," he added.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday the pleas relating to the controversial farm laws and the ongoing farmers' protest at Delhi borders. It may take into account the matter of recusal of the member from the panel.
The top court would also hear the plea of the central government, filed though the Delhi Police, seeking an injunction against a proposed tractor march or any other kind of protest by farmers that may disrupt the Republic Day celebrations on January 26.
So far, the government has held nine rounds of formal talks with 41 farmer unions but has failed to break the logjam as the latter have stuck to their main demand of a complete repeal of the three Acts.
In the last meeting, the Centre had suggested that the unions constitute their own informal group to prepare a concrete proposal on the three farm laws for further discussion at their next meeting on January 19 to end the long-running protest at various Delhi borders.
With PTI inputs
