The committee of experts appointed by the supreme court to deliberate with the stakeholders on the new farm laws held its first meeting here Tuesday, with one of its members saying that all stakeholders, including individual farmers, will be heard.

Hearing a petition on the farm laws enacted by parliament late last year which have led to protests from farmers, the supreme court on January 12 has appointed a committee comprising Dr. Ashok Gulati, former chairman of the commission for agricultural costs & prices, Anil Ghanwat, president of the Maharashtra-based Shetkari Sanghatana, Dr. Pramod Joshi, former director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute, and Bhupinder Singh Mann. In the face of criticism that the panel comprised those experts who had already supported the farm laws, Mann had recused himself.

In Tuesday’s meeting, the other three experts discussed the roadmap of activities for the committee for two months to prepare their recommendations after discussion with farmers, farmers’ bodies, farmers’ unions and other stakeholders, according to an official statement.

Addressing the Media, Ghanwat said as per the direction of the supreme court, the committee will hold discussion with farmers and farmers’ bodies in the country who are both pro and against the farm laws. The committee will also hold discussions with state governments, state marketing boards and other stakeholders such as farmer producer organizations, and cooperatives. It will soon send invitations to the farmers unions and associations to discuss their views. Even individual farmer can submit his/her views on the portal to be notified soon, he said.

The committee is keen to understand the opinion on the subject of all concerned so that it can give suggestions which will definitely be in the interests of the farmers of India, according to the statement.