SC panel flags alarming farm crisis, seeks talks on MSP law

India's agrarian economy stands at a crossroads, battling rising indebtedness, shrinking incomes and an intensifying climate crisis, the Supreme Court-appointed committee formed to address demands of farmers protesting along the Punjab-Haryana border since February, has emphasised while recommending serious consideration of the farmers' demand for legal sanctity to the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

- Utkarsh Anand

The committee, chaired by justice (retd) Nawab Singh, on Friday submitted its report outlining key challenges faced by India's rural and agrarian sectors, which it described as grappling with an "emerging socio-economic crisis".

The report, accessed by HT, was presented before a bench of justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan on Friday. The bench, while acknowledging the gravity of the issues, underscored the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to resolve the issue. "We are all working for a cause. Let this matter be not taken adversely by anyone," remarked the bench, which had on September 2 formed the committee.

Punjab's advocate general Gurminder Singh informed the court that farmers were initially sceptical of the committee's ability to implement substantial changes. He added that one of the protesting farmers' organisation, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), joined the committee proceedings on November 4 while the state government made all efforts to persuade the farmers to assist the court-appointed panel.

However, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and the Haryana government, urged that farmers and their organisations present their concerns directly to the court, adding it was not proper for any of the state governments (Punjab or Haryana) to speak on the behalf of the farmers.