No record of meeting with farmers on farm bills: Centre in reply to RTI

The Centre on Thursday stated that it has no records of any kind pertaining to meetings or discussions with farmers' organisations before finalising the three farm bills.

The Centre informed Mumbai-based activist Jatin Desai in response to a query filed under Right to Information Act (RTI).

The CPIO of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare responded saying: "This CPIO does not hold any record in this matter." The matter was related to three farm bills and farmers agitation.

"I had asked simple information from the department of agriculture, cooperation and farmers welfare that how many meetings were held with the farmers organisations before three farm ordinances were issued and also how many meetings were held with them between issuing ordinances and passing of the bills in the parliament," he said.

Describing the reply as misleading, he has filed an appeal. "I have already appealed against the misleading information. CPIO should have provided correct information. CPIO just cannot say: 'This CPIO does not hold any record in this matter'," he said.