The Congress party has criticised the NITI Aayog for the closure of 199 district agro-meteorological units, which provided free weather advisory services to farmers. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh n Saturday accused the NITI Aayog of misrepresenting the role of these units to justify their shutdown.
Ramesh shared a media report on X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming that the offices were closed in March after the NITI Aayog recommended their privatisation.
“The Indian Meteorological Department shut down 199 district agro-meteoreological units (DAMUs) in January 2024. These agromet units provided all farmers at the block-level free-of-cost weather advisory services, and crucial information related to sowing, use of fertilisers, harvesting and storing crops. Experts suggest that while the budget outlay for these units every year was around Rs 45 crore, the benefit was around Rs 15,000 crores. The shutdown was opposed by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, and by several key stakeholders, including the Gujarat-based Association of Agrometeorologists,” Ramesh said in the post.
RTI documents now reveal that it was the NITI Aayog that suggested that district agromet services be privatised and monetized. In fact, the Aayog misrepresented their role to justify this decision, arguing that the agromet units be shut down because data was now automated.
“This is untrue – agromet staff customised central forecasts for local use and tailored data for other advisories, such as those related to the use of fertilisers,” the Congress leader said.
The Aayog’s deception and its lack of courage in standing up to the Government when faced with the Government’s poor decision-making is illustrative of its role over the last ten years – as a mere drumbeater and cheerleader for the non-biological PM, he said.