Expert panel to submit recommendations on farm laws to SC within 2 months of first sitting

In a detailed order released on Tuesday, the Supreme Court has laid down the roadmap for the resolution of the standoff over the three farm laws passed by Parliament. Besides staying the implementation of the farm laws until further orders, it directed that the Minimum Support Price system in place before the enactment of the agrarian legislation shall continue. Moreover, the three-judge SC bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian added that the landholdings of the farmers shall be protected. Meanwhile, the apex court has tasked the 4-member committee of Ashok Gulati, Bhupinder Singh Mann, Pramod Kumar Joshi and Anil Ghanwat to solicit the views of farmers and the Union government.

The representatives of all farmer unions, irrespective of whether they are holding a protest or not, have been directed to participate in the deliberations of the committee and put forth their viewpoints. While the panel's first sitting shall be held within 10 days from today, the committee must submit its recommendations pertaining to the farm laws within two months from the date of the first sitting. Though the court said that it did not intend to stifle a "peaceful protest", it appealed to the farmers' unions to convince their members to get back to their livelihood as a result of this "extraordinary order". The matters concerning the challenge to the farm laws and those seeking the removal of protesters from the Delhi borders will be listed after 8 weeks.

Read: Farmers' Unions Refuse To Engage With SC-constituted Panel; Anti-farm Law Stir To Continue

Here is the full SC order:

Read: BJP Reacts To SC's Stay On Farm Laws; Haryana CM Khattar Welcomes SC-committee For Talks

What are the farm laws? 

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 aims at freeing the farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. Meanwhile, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. This entails the provision of contract farming. On the other hand, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 specifies that the supply of foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, potato, edible oilseeds, and oils shall be regulated only under exceptional circumstances. 

Read: Farm Laws Stayed: Congress Calls It 'legal Slap To BJP' But Claims SC Committee 'biased'