The decision to form the committee, headed by Drink, was taken in a hurry to prevent Hazare from following his scheduled fast. Hazare had announced, in solidarity with farmers fighting for the repeal of farm laws, that his fast would start from Saturday. However, late on Friday it canceled it after the Center rushed Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary and the BJP leader. Devendra Fadnavis to his people Ralegan Siddhi and assured him that he would establish a panel to examine their claims.
Ministry sources said the committee would be made up of Ramesh Chand, a member of Niti Aayog, Parshottam Rupala from MoS agriculture, Vijay Sardana, an expert on agricultural trade law and policy, a progressive farmer from Haryana and Padma Shri recipient Kanwal Singh Chauhan, and representatives of farmers. Hazare had previously written to the ministry, listing pending lawsuits, including autonomy to the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and MSP based on comprehensive cost (C2) as recommended by MS Swaminathan’s committee as reasons for joining. farmers’ protests through fasting.
The committee, headed by agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, will finalize its recommendations in six months, even as Prime Minister Modi during the all-party meeting on Saturday referred to proposals by the agriculture ministry to suspend implementation of the agricultural laws for 18 months and creation of a joint committee to advance by discussing all the demands of farmers during the period.
However, the unions rejected the proposals, saying they would not end the protests until the farm laws are repealed. Choudhary said that although the Center had already implemented several of Hazare’s suggestions that the latter had previously written about, the high-powered committee would examine outstanding issues in consultations with farmer representatives.
“The names of the farmer representatives for the panel will be finalized in consultation with Hazare,” an official said, adding that a deputy secretary from each of the ministries of agriculture, trade and food and consumer affairs would also be at the meeting. panel.
He said this committee would work separately from the panel appointed by the Supreme Court, which is expected to present its report to the higher court within two months after hearing the views of various stakeholders, including individual farmers and the state government.
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