After suggesting the Centre on December 17 to put on hold the three controversial farms laws and form a panel to go into the issues raised by protesting farmers, the Supreme Court on Monday noted that there has been no “improvement on ground” and posted the matter for hearing on January 11.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said the intention of the court is to encourage and facilitate talks between farmers and the Government. To this,  Attorney General KK Venugopal informed the Bench that “there are chances of the parties coming to some sort of an understanding”.

“We understand the situation and encourage consultation. We can adjourn the matters on Monday if you submit the same due to the ongoing consultation process,” the Bench said. The Bench was hearing a petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma challenging the validity of the three farm laws.

The court also issued notice to the Government on a separate petition filed by advocate Sharma, challenging the Third Constitutional Amendment of 1954 which included Entry 33, concerning food and essential commodities, in the Concurrent List.

“This is one of Sharma’s startling petitions... He says you [Government] have been committing illegalities since 1954,” Bobde told Venugopal in a lighter vein.

Venugopal, however, wondered how a person could challenge a constitutional amendment in a writ petition.

The Supreme Court had on December 17 refused to interfere with the ongoing agitation against farm laws by farmers from Punjab and some other States who have blocked certain entry points to the national Capital for weeks, saying it was their fundamental right. The court had asked the Centre to consider to put on hold the three laws and form a panel to go into the concerns raised by the farmers.

Later, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar  said those farmer unions, which are protesting against the farm laws, will understand the idea behind bringing laws for reforms in the agricultural sector and actively arrive at a solution after discussion.

“The Government of India is committed to the welfare of farmers. We meet those who are supporting the laws and those opposing it. I am sure that farmer unions who are agitating will understand the idea behind agriculture laws and they will think about the welfare of farmers and actively arrive at a solution by a positive discussion,” Tomar told reporters.

Meanwhile, the All India Farmers Association (AIFA) headed by former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s grandson Sanjay Nath Singh on Wednesday extended support to the three new agriculture laws against which 40 farmers’ unions have been protesting at various borders of the national capital for over a month now. Singh, in a representation, made to Tomar made some suggestions to the Centre that would be of help in negotiating with the protesting farm unions in the next round of meeting to be held on January 8.