SC panel to submit first report on boosting farm income by month-end
The committee has met various stakeholders, including directors of agriculture and horticulture departments of Punjab and Haryana, and the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
The Supreme Court-appointed five-member committee is likely to submit its first report on boosting farm income, which also includes the minimum support price (MSP) for cultivators, by the end of this month. The Supreme Court, in September 2024, formed the committee headed by former Punjab and Haryana high court judge Nawab Singh to address various farmers’ demands.
The exact contents of the report are not known yet, but over the past few weeks, the committee has met various stakeholders, including directors of agriculture and horticulture departments of Punjab and Haryana, and the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
An official privy to the development said that the committee has also invited members of Niti Aayog before finalising its report.
In November this year, the committee submitted a list of issues that it will look into all the farm issues and examine the profitability of the farm sector through the mechanism of assuring remunerative prices, including inter alia minimum support price (MSP), direct income support and other viable approaches. HT has a copy of the documents submitted before the court.
“The committee will also examine the demand of the farmers for providing legal sanctity to MSP,” reads one of the preliminary issues submitted by the committee to the apex court.
The committee has been aggressively working on issues plaguing farmers, including boosting farm income.
“We have held talks with Punjab and Haryana agriculture department officials along with others. The committee has also held deliberations with officials of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), which recommends MSPs to the Union government. The committee has also invited members of Niti Aayog while finalising its report,” the official said, pleading anonymity.
“Farmer unions have also been called but haven’t shown up yet,” the official added.
Legal guarantee of MSP has been one of the main demands of the farm unions and of the two factions, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), sitting protest at the Khanauri and Shambhu border points between Punjab and Haryana.
An official, involved with the committee, said reports on other issues would be submitted by the committee in the phase manner.
Recently, in its report on demand for grants (2024-25) tabled in the just-concluded Parliament session, the standing committee on agriculture, animal husbandry and food processing has backed the idea of legally guaranteed minimum support prices (MSP) for farm produce, calling it “essential”.
When contacted, the committee’s chairman, former HC judge Nawab Singh, refused to comment on the issue and said, “It is between us (the committee) and the Supreme Court. We are doing our best.”
