New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 22) was informed that positive developments have taken place on the issue of farmers’ protest and following this development, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on an indefinite fast for over 50 days at the Khanduri border, has accepted medical aid and shifted to a makeshift hospital 50 meters away from the protest site and his condition has improved.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant, Justice Dipankar Datta and Hustice Ujjal Bhuyan was informed by the Punjab government that the Centre had sent a high-level delegation, which met Dallewal and other farmer leaders on January 18 and both sides have agreed to hold further talks in Chandigarh on February 14.
High-powered committee also met Dallewal, apex court was informed
The bench was also informed that some other farmer leaders, who were sitting on fast, have also broken their fast and they have agreed to resume the talks and all the stakeholders will resolve the issues in the national interest.
The bench on Wednesday was also informed that the high-powered committee constituted by it under the chairmanship of former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Nawab Singh also met Dallewal in order to amicably resolve the grievances of the protesting farmers.
The bench, which was hearing a plea seeking contempt action against the authorities of the Punjab government for not complying with the top court directions issued over moving Dallewal to a hospital on December 20 last year. ordered to keep contempt proceedings in abeyance.
“In the light of the present development, the contempt proceedings are kept in abeyance and presence of officials dispensed,” the bench said.
Apex Court earlier expressed its concern on Dallewal’s health conditions
Dallewal, who had been sitting on indefinite fast since November 26 last year, earlier refused to take medical aid offered by the Punjab government. The top court, amidst his deteriorating health condition, earlier expressed its concerns on Dalleal’s health condition and directed the Punjab government to provide adequate, immediate medical aid to him without forcing him to break fast.
Apex Court on September 2 last year constituted a five-member high-powered committee
The apex court had on September 2 last year constituted a five-member high-powered committee under the chairmanship of former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Nawab Singh to amicably resolve the grievances of the protesting farmers. The other members of the said five-member committee are – retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer BS Sandhu, professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman, Dr Sukhpal Singh, agricultural economist from the Punjab Agriculture University and Mohali resident Devinder Sharma.
