MSP issue: SC asks panel to submit recommendations in sealed cover

Bathinda: The Supreme Court has asked the high-powered committee, constituted by it in Sept 2024 to study farmer's demand of minimum support price for crops and other demands pertaining to agriculture, to file a final report in a sealed cover. The court intends to close the matter after receiving the final report and forwarding it to the central government to decide over it. The matter was taken up on Friday by a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. After the farm forums from Punjab wanted to move towards Delhi on Feb 13, 2024, under its call for Delhi Chalo-2, Haryana police had blocked the borders on national highways respectively at Shambhu and Khanauri to restrict farmers. The Punjab and Haryana high court had ordered the unblocking, against which the Haryana Government had approached the Supreme Court. On Sept 2, 2024, the Supreme Court with a view to resolve the conflict through mediation, constituted a High-Powered Committee headed by Justice (retd) Nawab Singh, along with experts from Punjab and Haryana, to hold negotiations with the protesting farmers. The court on Friday in the order observed that with multiple efforts by various stakeholders, the issue regarding the blockade at the Punjab and Haryana borders had been resolved.
"It seems that the matter is now ripe to close these proceedings. This will be then after obtaining a report from the High Powered Committee containing their brief suggestions, which can then be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for further consideration. The committee to submit its report-cum-recommendations. However, such recommendations remain in sealed cover and the committee will not divulge the contents in public domain until further orders by the Court," stated the observations.