Farmers protest: High court forms panel to resolve deadlock

The high court bench of Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul acted on the plea of Adani Wilmar Limited that had approached the court on April 27

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday constituted a committee on the plea of an Adani group subsidiary seeking removal of blockade by farmers protesting against three farm laws outside its Ferozepur warehouse.

The firm has sought free movement of foodgrains to and from its facility at Ferozepur. (Picture for representational purpose)

The high court bench of Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul acted on the plea of Adani Wilmar Limited that had approached the court on April 27.

The committee comprises principal secretary, home, Punjab; additional director general of police, law and order, Punjab; Ferozepur deputy commissioner and Ferozepur senior superintendent of police to resolve the deadlock, said lawyer Abhinav Sood.

The court acknowledged the efforts made by the Punjab government, but added that all parties will have to think out of the box and act expeditiously to prevent further loss/wastage of about 8,000 MT of foodgrains stored at the facility, which the court said “a country like India can ill afford.”

The firm has sought free movement of foodgrains to and from its facility at Ferozepur.

Meanwhile, in another development, a coordinate bench of Justice AG Masih gave Punjab a week’s time to respond to a plea against blockade by farmers at another subsidiary’s warehouse at Ludhiana. This plea has been filed by Adani Logistics against the farm protesters holding up its stocks.

The bench, while fixing the hearing for June 28, observed that the matter is getting delayed, which is resulting in loss of revenue, both to the firm as well as the public exchequer. It gave last opportunity to the government to file its reply within one week asserting that no further time would be granted.

The firm had approached the court in March saying that the farmers have been sitting on a dharna in front of its inland container depot in Ludhiana, thus rendering it non-operational since January 1. While its competitors are doing business as usual, the petitioner’s facilities are locked up for months, the plea said.