The farmers' meeting with the Supreme Court-appointed committee which was scheduled to take place on Wednesday has been rescheduled to January 29 due to the traffic restrictions after violence broke out during protests on Tuesday.
The SC panel holds its first meeting with the farmers' association from eight states on January 21.
The apex court had initially set up a four-member Committee of Agriculture experts and activists, but Bhupinder Singh Mann, former President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) declared that he would not be a part of the proceedings. The three remaining members- Ashok Gulati, former Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, Pramod Kumar Joshi, Director Agriculture Food Policy Research Institute, and Anil Ghanwat of the Shetkari Sangathan Maharashtra have asserted that they do not belong to any political party or government body.
The Committee said that those who want to come and meet us physically can come here. Others can join via video conferencing. A web portal is also being created by the government for all stakeholders who are unable to come to Delhi to give their suggestions and opinions.
SC-appointed panel member Pramod Kumar Joshi said the objective of the committee is to ensure the benefit of the farmers. "We have considered how the committee will work," he said.
The Committee in a press conference admitted that getting agitating farmers' union to talk would be its "greatest challenge". Members also said they will hold consultations with APMC mandi associations, millers, agribusiness organizations and others, and representatives of the central and state governments.
