NEW DELHI: Observing that there is a “trust deficit” between the farmers protesting at Shambhu Border and govt, Supreme Court on Wednesday proposed a panel of ‘eminent persons‘, along with Punjab and Haryana govt officials, to reach out to them, end the stand-off, and clear the border and the national highway.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhyan said govt’s efforts had not been fruitful because of trust deficit and there is a need to appoint “neutral umpires” to hold discussions with farmers.It then asked both Haryana and Punjab govts to suggest names of who could be made part of the panel. The court directed them to come back in a week with recommended names.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Haryana, submitted that over 500-600 large vehicles, which have been modified as “armoured tanks”, are stationed at the site and if they are allowed to move into Delhi, the capital’s law and order situations may be severely jeopardised.
“You have to take some steps to reach out to farmers. Have you taken any initiative to negotiate with the farmers? Your ministers may have gone to the farmers without realising the local issues,” the bench told Mehta.
The SG said the state has no problem with the farmers’ march to Delhi but they cannot be allowed at any cost to come with “armoured tanks” and JCBs due to the huge ramifications it could have.
Sensing the lack of trust between govt and the protesting farmers, the court said that sending an impartial panel could be the best way to resolve the problem.
The court was hearing an appeal filed by Haryana challenging HC’s order directing it to remove barricades on the border, saying it is a “lifeline” for citizens’ movement between Punjab and Haryana and to Delhi and J&K . The Haryana govt had closed this border during a farmers’ protest to restrict agitators from Punjab from entering the state.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhyan said govt’s efforts had not been fruitful because of trust deficit and there is a need to appoint “neutral umpires” to hold discussions with farmers.It then asked both Haryana and Punjab govts to suggest names of who could be made part of the panel. The court directed them to come back in a week with recommended names.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Haryana, submitted that over 500-600 large vehicles, which have been modified as “armoured tanks”, are stationed at the site and if they are allowed to move into Delhi, the capital’s law and order situations may be severely jeopardised.
“You have to take some steps to reach out to farmers. Have you taken any initiative to negotiate with the farmers? Your ministers may have gone to the farmers without realising the local issues,” the bench told Mehta.
The SG said the state has no problem with the farmers’ march to Delhi but they cannot be allowed at any cost to come with “armoured tanks” and JCBs due to the huge ramifications it could have.
Sensing the lack of trust between govt and the protesting farmers, the court said that sending an impartial panel could be the best way to resolve the problem.
The court was hearing an appeal filed by Haryana challenging HC’s order directing it to remove barricades on the border, saying it is a “lifeline” for citizens’ movement between Punjab and Haryana and to Delhi and J&K . The Haryana govt had closed this border during a farmers’ protest to restrict agitators from Punjab from entering the state.