SC panel on farm laws holds talks with officials of agri-related ministries

The Supreme Court-appointed panel on the new farm laws on Thursday said it held consultations with top officials of the ministries of agriculture, food processing industries and consumer affairs on the legislations against which farmers have been protesting at Delhi's borders for nearly three months now.

This is the ninth meeting the panel has held so far. The three-member committee is holding consultations with stakeholders both online and in person.

In a statement, the committee said it held in-person interaction with the Agriculture Secretary, Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) Chairman, Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary in the Consumer Affairs Department as well as cooperative NABARD Director.

The NABARD Chairman and Deputy Managing Director, Small Farmers' Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) Managing Director, Food Corporation of India (FCI) Advisor, Food Processing Industries Secretary and National Horticultural Board Managing Director attended the meeting through video conference, it said.

The committee members requested the participating officers to give their views on the three farm laws. "All the participating officers gave their detailed views and suggestions...," the statement said.

The Supreme Court had on January 12 stayed the implementation of the three contentious farm laws for two months and asked the committee to submit a report within two months after consulting the stakeholders.

Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi's borders for nearly three months now seeking repeal of the new legislations, introduced by the Centre last year, saying they are pro-corporate and could weaken the mandi system.

Eleven rounds of the talks between the Centre and 41 protesting farmer unions have so far remained deadlocked. The government has offered concessions including suspension of the legislations for 18 months, which the unions have rejected.