The Supreme Court on Thursday (August 22) directed the States of Punjab and Haryana to continue their meetings with the protesting farmers to persuade them to clear the highway along the Shambhu border.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Ujjal Bhuyan instructed both states to keep engaging with the farmers and report the outcomes of these discussions at the next hearing on September 2, 2024.
The court also asked the Haryana and Punjab governments to submit proposed issues for the Committee that the apex court plans to establish. This Committee will facilitate negotiations between the protesters and the governments. The court clarified that the Committee’s mandate will be broad to address recurring law and order problems in a fair and just manner.
Additionally, the court granted Punjab the liberty to propose additional names for the Committee’s composition within three days.
Meanwhile, the bench ordered that the status quo at the Shambhu border near Ambala be maintained. Earlier, the Supreme Court had instructed the Senior Superintendent of Police of Patiala and Ambala, as well as the Deputy Commissioners of both districts, to meet and explore the possibility of partially reopening the Shambhu border highway for ambulances, essential services, and daily commuters.
The court proposed forming an independent Committee of eminent persons to engage with farmers and other stakeholders to find viable and fair solutions to their demands.
The Top Court was addressing an appeal against the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s July 10 order, which directed the opening of the highway and removal of barricades within seven days.
In February this year, the Haryana government had set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway after farmers’ bodies announced plans to march to Delhi in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
