New Delhi This Independence Day, the Centre is going to launch a scheme to evaluate performance of states on the basis of three vital parameters – education, health and water. The ostensible idea behind the move is to create a competitive environment among states to boost development works in the social sector.
According to sources, the implications of this ranking would be far-reaching as funds disbursed by the Centre to states for all social sector schemes would be directly linked to performance of the states.
According to NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, the rating mechanism will come in place from August 15 this year and the first ranking could be out in three months. The NITI Aayog has been entrusted with formulating the parameters of the ranking system. “The ranking data would be available on real time basis on the portal developed for the purpose. The states would be ranked every three months based on the progress made on the indices developed by the Aayog,” said Kant after a meeting of states’ chief secretaries and secretaries of planning boards on Wednesday.
Listing some of parameters set to evaluate states, a source, said that performance records of states for the last three years would be taken into consideration for the rating. “The auditing of states would also be done on the basis of initiatives taken in creating infrastructure for education, health and water resources.
Quality of services in social sector could also be one of the parameters of evaluation,” a source said. Commenting on the initiative, political analyst Arvind Mohan said, “I have doubt over the intentions of the government as the mechanism might used to extend undue benefits to some favoured states.
Investors would select a state on the basis of their rankings, so a backward state would remain poor.”