NEW DELHI: In contempt proceedings, SC generally acts tough but on Monday was “hoping and praying” for resolution of the stalemate over hospitalisation of farmer Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast-unto-death in support of protesting farmers’ demand for legal guarantee of MSP.
Punjab govt, whose chief secretary and DGP are facing contempt petition for administration’s inability to implement SC’s Dec 20 order for hospitalisation of Dallewal so as to protect his life, through senior advocate Kapil Sibal informed a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N K Singh that the SC appointed high-powered committee’s chairperson, Justice Nawab Singh, is scheduled to meet Dallewal Monday afternoon. The bench said, “Let us hope and pray that the meeting is successful, and better sense prevails with everyone.” The bench adjourned the hearing to Friday.
The committee members met Dallewal on the 42nd day of his fast-unto-death during their first visit to the protest site at Khanauri Monday and urged him to accept medical aid. Dallewal, 70, rejected the request saying he was “prioritising safeguarding interests of farmers over his health”.
Following the meeting with Dallewal, the committee said it will “address all issues related to agricultural crisis, submit its report in phases after meeting various stakeholders, and attempt to find a workable solution”.
Justice Nawab Singh said the committee had submitted a list of preliminary issues to SC but added that it should not be seen as an interim report.
The panel, in its points before SC, flagged low output and rising debt as the two major contributors to the precarious financial position of farmers. “The farmers deserve the benefits of MSP and debt waiver as farmers in Punjab have institutional debt of over Rs 73,000 crore, and in Haryana over Rs 76,000 crore,” it added.
