Don’t move agriculture to Union List, says MK Stalin

Stating that one of the mottos of Niti Ayog was “cooperative federalism”, Stalin said that it was unfortunate that the ruling BJP was using Niti Ayog to usurp the powers of the states and reduce them to the level of corporations and municipalities. 

Pointing out that a 2015 report of the task force constituted to reform agriculture in the country had not even proposed the shifting of agriculture from state to Union list, the DMK working president said, the same was not discussed even in the third governing council meeting of Niti Ayog attended by Chief Ministers and chaired by the Prime Minister. 

It is condemnable to find a member of Niti Ayog suggest the shifting of agriculture to Union list even without it being mentioned in the report of task force and discussed in the governing council meeting, Stalin asked the PM to immediately stop Niti Ayog members from making statements contrary to principles of social justice and federalism. 

Stalin, in his statement, also added that if the objective of Niti Ayog was to usurp the rights of states, there was no point in chief ministers continuing in its governor council.