Attorney Anil Nandlall on Friday argued that the Rice Assessment Committee is not properly constituted and therefore cannot conduct an investigation into the refusal of Hope Estate rice farmers to accept the tripling of the rental fee for land they occupy.
Summonses for 32 farmers have been prepared but only a little over a dozen of them have so far been served. Those farmers appeared at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court for the proceedings, the second such held in recent weeks. The first set of matters were dismissed as a result of submissions made by counsel on behalf of the rice farmers.