New Delhi, Aug 12: The Supreme Court, on Monday, directed the police chiefs of Punjab and Haryana to convene a meeting, along with the Superintendents of Police from the adjoining Patiala and Ambala districts, within a week. The purpose of this meeting is to facilitate the partial reopening of the highway at the Shambhu border, where farmers have been protesting since February 13.
The court urged the Punjab government to encourage the protesting farmers at the Shambhu border to remove their tractors from the road, emphasizing that highways are not meant to serve as parking spaces.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan commended both the Punjab and Haryana governments for proposing apolitical candidates to form a committee. This committee will engage in discussions with the protesting farmers.
The bench highlighted the importance of partially reopening the road at the Shambhu border to ensure the movement of ambulances, essential services, senior citizens, women, girl students, and local commuters from nearby areas.
"We will issue a brief order outlining the terms for the panel that will be constituted to negotiate with the protesting farmers at the Shambhu border," the bench stated.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to propose neutral candidates for an independent committee to mediate with the farmers protesting at the Shambhu border. The farmers are demanding, among other things, a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce. The court stressed that the situation should not be aggravated.
