The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Central government on a public interest litigation seeking omnibus measures for the welfare of farmers, including formulation of a national farmer policy and a price stabilisation fund.
The Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice KV Viswanathan passed the order on Friday on a petition filed through Advocate Mridula Ray Bharadwaj on behalf of Agnostos Theos, Managing Director of The Sikh Chamber of Commerce.
The plea contended that the Central government has not taken any effective measures to reduce hunger and end the agrarian distress.
The Apex Court orally told the petitioner that he needed to do better homework and research. Calling the pleadings as evasive, the Bench asked Theos whether he had read the expert reports and whether he was supporting the farmers or sugar lobby.
The petition submitted that the Central government has not taken any effective measures to reduce hunger and end agrarian distress.
It said the prices of agricultural commodities in the international market have been widely fluctuating due to discriminatory policies followed by larger players like the US and the European Union.
Besides, the cheap import of agriculture products from the US and EU threatened the livelihood of the farmers, it added.
The petitioner contended that there should be a national policy for farmers and the government should negotiate better with the World Trade Organisation.
it further sought setting up of a price stabilisation fund to mitigate the fluctuating prices of crops.
The plea contended that there should be an agriculture cess along with the establishment of a common agricultural market platform for productive sale of crop yield.
Earlier , the Apex Court had refused to entertain a plea by the same petitioner seeking directions to the Central and State governments to consider the demands of farmers who have been protesting for the enactment of a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) for various crops.