Supreme Court Orders Meeting for Partial Highway Reopening at Shambhu Border

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the police chiefs of both Punjab and Haryana to convene a meeting with the SPs of the adjoining Patiala and Ambala districts within one week. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the partial reopening of the highway at the Shambhu border, where protesting farmers have been camping since February 13, 2024.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan instructed the Punjab government to encourage the protesting farmers at the Shambhu border to remove tractors from the road, emphasizing that highways should not be used as parking spaces.

The bench also commended the Punjab and Haryana governments for proposing apolitical names for a committee that will engage with the protesting farmers.

It further noted that partial reopening of the road at Shambhu is necessary to facilitate the movement of ambulances, essential services, senior citizens, women, girl students, and local commuters from adjoining areas.

“We will issue a brief order on the terms of the panel to be constituted for negotiating with the protesting farmers at the Shambhu border,” the bench stated.

The Apex Court had previously asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to propose neutral personalities for setting up an independent committee to address the farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP for their produce, to prevent escalation of the situation.

The court was addressing the Haryana government’s plea challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order, which mandated the removal of barricades at the Shambhu border near Ambala within a week. These barricades were installed in February after the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha announced a march to Delhi in support of their demands.