Centre files affidavit on farm laws in SC

New Delhi [India], January 11 : The Union of India (UOI) has filed an affidavit "hurriedly" in the Supreme Court after the hearing concluded on petitions filed against the central farm laws on Monday.
The Centre's affidavit stated that the present affidavit is necessary for the purpose of dispelling the erroneous notion that the protestors have peddled that the central government and the Parliament never had any consultative process or examination of issues by any Committee before passing of the laws in question.
The Centre stated in its affidavit that it is necessary for the purpose of bringing some unquestionable facts before this Court, thereby this affidavit has been filed before the Supreme Court.
The Government of India has been, thus, actively and intensively engaging with the States for about two decades to achieve the objectives of reforms to provide accessible and barrier free-market system for better price realisation but states either showed reluctance to adopt the reforms in true spirit or made partial or cosmetic reforms, the Centre's affidavit said.
The legislations are not hurriedly made but are a result of two decades of deliberations. The farmers of the nation are happy as they are given an additional option over and above the existing and, therefore, no vested right is taken away, the Centre stated in its affidavit.
The central government has done its best to engage with the farmers to remove any misapprehensions or misgivings in the minds of the farmers and no efforts have been found lacking, the affidavit said.
As a responsible government, it has taken all conceivable steps to ensure that specific grievances of some farmers who are agitating are discussed and sorted out so far as possible, the Centre's affidavit said.
It is submitted that the Acts have received wide acceptance throughout the country and, therefore, some farmers and others objecting to the law had put a condition of its repeal, is neither justifiable nor acceptable, the Centre's affidavit stated.
With a view to satisfy this Court that sincere and possible attempts are made to engage a constructive dialogue with agitators, the Centre's affidavit said.
The Supreme Court will pass orders on Tuesday on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of farm laws.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde, is hearing a batch of petitions, including those filed by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, RJD MP Manoj K Jha, regarding the constitutional validity of three farm laws, passed by the Central government along with the plea to disperse protesting farmers.
The bench had said that the government should have passed these laws after discussing with all stakeholders.