New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed up on his Independence day pledge to dismantle Planning Commission by holding the first consultation meeting with chief ministers on Sunday. The PM said there is a need to create a new institution in the spirit of "cooperative federalism", a body that will encourage the planning process to be 'bottom to top' and not 'top to bottom'.
Barring West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, most made it to the meeting. Interestingly, Mamata Banerjee has been at loggerheads with the NDA government over Burdwan blasts and Saradha scam investigations while Omar Abdullah is busy with Assembly elections in his state. At the meeting, Prime Minister pushed for a new approach. "There is need for a new set-up which will help India take a big leap forward in the spirit of cooperative federalism. The process of policy planning also has to change from 'top to bottom' to 'bottom to top'. We need to develop a new mechanism, that plans according to India's strengths and empowers states," said Modi at the meet.
The government emphasised on cooperative federalism. A discussion note circulated by it envisaged that the new institution to replace the Planning Commission will be a "innovation and knowledge hub", will have two divisions dealing solely with the Unique Identity Authority of India and Direct Benefit Transfer scheme, and also systemic mechanism like a council of chief ministers headed by the Prime Minister to take on board their views.
"Both power and planning has to be decentralized," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said at the press conference after the meet.
The government had received around 3000 suggestions about the revamp of the 64-year-old panel. Some CMs, however, are not happy with the government's decision to dismantle the Planning Commission.
While Tamil Nadu raised concerns about transparency in fund allocation, Odisha though extended its support, stressed on mainstreaming gender issues. "I support the initiative in keeping with cooperative federation," said Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.
Bihar and Assam have clearly opposed the move to scrap the decades old body.
Chief ministers apart, the Grand Old Party of India, Congress too has strongly expressed its displeasure with the government. "Congress opposes and condemns the efforts being made by the BJP Government- in a devious manner characterized by typical subterfuge and doublespeak- to dismantle the Planning Commission. We caution the government against diluting the Commission's functions in the name of reforms aimed at benefiting vested interests," said an official statement from the party.
The final decision on the structure and role of the new institution that will replace the Planning Commission is yet to be taken, but the churning has surely begun.
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