The government has maintained that multiple consultations were held with farmers before approving the bills
New Delhi:
Despite the center repeatedly claiming that it conducted multiple ‘stakeholder’ consultations before passing the three controversial farm laws, a response to an RTI query submitted by NDTV says the government “has no record on this matter.”
Narendra Modi’s government has been criticized – by the opposition and farmer groups protesting the new laws – for not holding enough consultations before the bills were passed.
However, the government insists that it held several rounds of talks with farmers.
On Monday, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar took part in a Facebook Live event, in which he said: “These laws have been debated in the country for a long time … many committees were established which later carried out many consultations nationwide. ” “.
Earlier this month, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said “extensive consultations, trainings and outreach programs on agricultural laws were held with stakeholders.” He said “1.37 lakh trainings and webinars” had been held since June and 92.42 lakh farmers had participated.
Similarly, a note from government sources tried to discredit the “perception that the central government has not done extensive outreach and consultation with farmers and their representatives.”
“Feedback was also obtained from some progressive farmers and knowledgeable mandi officials. There were multiple meetings with FPOs (agricultural producer organizations) via video conferencing. The ministry also consulted a prominent farmers union and even made a change to the ordinance after your comments “stated the note.
The response to NDTV’s RTI inquiry, however, casts serious doubt on the veracity of these claims.
NDTV submitted the consultation to the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Peasant Welfare on December 15 and requested details of the consultations, if any, with groups of farmers on the three laws.
NDTV asked if the government had held any consultations with farmer groups before the bills were signed into law. NDTV also requested details of these meetings, including the date, the names of the farmer representatives who attended, the groups they were affiliated with, and the details of other attendees. NDTV also requested a copy of the minutes of these meetings.
On December 22, we received a response from the Director of Public Information, saying that the government “does not have any records in this matter” and that the request had been closed.
Since then, NDTV has filed an appeal, citing multiple cases of union ministers demanding consultations.
Tens of thousands of farmers across the country are up at war over laws they say will leave them at the mercy of business and put their livelihoods at risk. Thousands of them have been camped around Delhi’s borders for more than a month, demanding that the laws be lifted.
At least 30 deaths have been reported since the protests began last month; Several of these, farmers say, are from the cold of winter, as they are camped out in the open with minimal heating at night.
Several rounds of talks have failed and neither side is willing to give in. The government says it will not repeal the laws and is only willing to amend the most problematic sections.
Farmers and the government will meet in a sixth round at 2 p.m. Wednesday, but have warned that they will only discuss certain issues, including modalities to repeal the laws and provide legal guarantees for the MSP.
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