Informing the Supreme Court, the Punjab government stated that several continuous and elaborate meetings were convened with protesting farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on fast-unto-death over numerous demands but the farmers refused to interact with the committee constituted by the apex court.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan was informed by Punjab advocate general Gurminder Singh that the committee invited the protesting farmers on December 17, but they declined to engage in a dialogue.
Singh said the state government was trying to persuade the farmers on a daily basis but suggested their demands could be directly submitted to court.
"We clarify that court's doors are always open to any suggestion or demand by farmers directly or through their authorised representative," the top court said.
The bench took note of Dallewal's health and asked the Punjab government to extend medical aid to him without any further delay.
The Punjab AG submitted the state authorities and a Centre's representative met Dallewal and took stock of his health, but he refused to undergo medical tests.
The top court suggested against any laxity in taking care of Dallewal's health for he needed to be "hale and hearty".
"Do not delay it. He is a public personality, a non-political leader of the masses. He represents farmers' interests. As an elected government and constitutional organ, you would not like to invite this blame that because of something has happened," the bench observed.
The matter has been posted for hearing on December 19.
Observing protesting farmers should adopt the Gandhian way, the top court had ordered immediate medical aid to Dallewal, whose health is deteriorating owing to his indefinite fast for over a fortnight at a Punjab-Haryana border.
The apex court had said a high-powered committee constituted by it, which was stated to be doing a good job, would talk to the protesting farmers and make recommendations to the court which eventually be put to the stakeholders for a decision.
Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press the Centre into accepting the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) on crops.
Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces.
The Haryana government set up the barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi National Highway in February after it was announced that the farmers would march to Delhi in support of their demands, including legal guarantee of MSP for their produce.
In its interim report, a Supreme Court-appointed panel on farmers' grievances listed reasons for agrarian distress which among others include stagnant yield, rising costs and debts and inadequate marketing system.
The high-powered committee, constituted on September 2 under former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nawab Singh to resolve the grievances of farmers agitating at the Shambhu border, suggested solutions including examining the possibility of giving legal sanctity to MSP and offering direct income support.
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