CMs panel report not ‘appraised’ by NITI Aayog even as farm ordinances were passed, reveals RTI

The response of NITI Aayog to an RTI application has revealed that the farm ordinances, which led to enactment of the three controversial farm laws, were promulgated and introduced in Parliament in June 2020 without the report of a high powered committee of Chief Ministers being appraised by the planning body’s Governing Council.

RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj had on December 15, 2020 filed the application pointing out that the PM had announced the setting up of a ‘High-Powered Committee of Chief Ministers for Transforming Indian Agriculture’ under the convenorship of former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis in July 2019.

Bhardwaj asked for a copy of the final report, the interim report, dates of all meetings held by the Committee, a copy of minutes of all meetings and a list of persons who attended these meetings, as per a report carried by The Wire.

In a response sent on January 13, NITI Aayog CPIO said the panel was constituted on July 1, 2019 by the NITI Aayog on the direction of the Prime Minister in the 5th Governing Council (GC) meeting of the commission held on June 15, 2019, the report said.

The CPIO stated that “the Committee has submitted its Report”, and that “it will be first placed before the 6th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog as an when it is held, for appraisal of State Chief Ministers and Governors of UTs who are constituent members of the Governing Council”. On these grounds, the CPIO said, the report could not be shared.

Raosaheb Dadarao Danve, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, had claimed in Parliament that the Committee had approved one of the farm laws, namely ‘The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill’.

Reacting to the development, senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram tweeted: "NITI Aayog's Committee of Chief Ministers on Agriculture concluded its deliberations in September 2019 and gave its report After 16 months, the report has not yet been 'presented' to NITI Aayog's governing council! Why, nobody knows and nobody will answer!"

"Citing this as the reason, the RTI request of Ms Anjali Bhardwaj for a copy of the report has been rejected! Alice would have said 'curiouser and curiouser' I salute Ms Anjali Bhardwaj for her tenacity and single-minded pursuit of information," he added.