NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday favoured forming an independent panel of eminent persons to resolve the issues of farmers protesting at Shambhu border, demanding legal guarantee of minimum support price of crops, observing highways can't be blocked indefinitely.
A three-judge bench led by Justice Surya Kant asked the Punjab and the Haryana governments to find ways to redress grievances of the farmers protesting at Shambhu border, view of the trust deficit between them and the ruling dispensation.
The bench suggested the governments to form a committee of independent persons who can negotiate with the farmers, protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border.
The bench, also comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan, emphasised that the Punjab and Haryana governments have to find a resolution to their problem.
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The court said that the committee has to be constituted with eminent persons who can reach out to farmers and other stakeholders in order to find out a viable solution to their demands that can be fair, just and in the interests of everyone.
"You have to take some steps to out to farmers. Why would they otherwise want to come to Delhi? You are sending Ministers from here and despite their best intentions there is trust deficit. They will think you are only talking about self interests and ignoring local issues. Why don't you send a neutral umpire," the bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Haryana government.
Mehta said the farmers sought to come to Delhi with armoured tractors and JCBs, which was prohibited to ply on highways.
"We cannot afford untoward things when dealing with sensitive matters," he said.
Punjab's Advocate General Gurminder Singh said the highway blockade is resulting in huge ramifications for the state economically, though they are within the rights to regulate.
"Let appropriate instructions be taken within a week. Till then, let parties maintain status quo at the site to prevent any flaring up of the situation," the bench said.
Before the top court, the Haryana government challenged the high court's order asking it to remove within a week the barricading at the Shambhu border near Ambala where farmers have been camping since February 13.
The Punjab and Haryana HC had on July 10, ordered the Haryana government to clear within a week the barricading at the Shambhu border.
In its appeal filed before the apex court, the Haryana government has cited law and order situation for the blockade.
On July 12, the Supreme Court had told the Haryana government to clear the barricading at Shambhu border near Ambala, saying, farmers, protesting over there are also citizens of the country.
The court asked how a state government could block a highway when its duty is to regulate traffic.
The farmers’ have been camping at the border since February 13, this year, in order to march to Delhi demanding a legal guarantee for MSP among others.
