Experts put their heads together for new form of plan panel
28 Aug 2014 4:05 AM IST
When former ministers, ex-members of the Planning Commission and experts met in the Yojana Bhawan on Tuesday, they all had a common agenda on their minds. They had gathered to discuss the framework of the new body which will replace the 64-year old plan panel.
‘We had all met in the context of the statement made by the prime minister from Red Fort (on 15 August). We have discussed what could be the new avatar of the Planning Commission,’ said former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who chaired the meeting.
Sinha further said that all the suggestions made by the different experts have been noted and would be forwarded to prime minister Narendra Modi.
‘They have all given some brilliant suggestions. All these (ideas) would be compiled and would be sent to the prime minister,’ Sinha said.
Sinha said the decision about the new body will be taken by Modi. ‘This is a work in progress, it’s not important to discuss the deliberations of today’s meeting, the outcome is important. And that decision will be taken by the prime minister. We also discussed how should the plan be allocated to states as well as the autonomy status to be granted to the new body,’ former finance minister said.
Sinha said it was a long-standing need to reinvent the Planning Commission and the prime minister has taken a bold step.
The meeting took place in two different groups simultaneously; one headed by Sinha had previous members of the Planning Commission, while the second group consisted of economists, including Rajiv Kumar and Pronab Sen.
‘Old body is totally scrapped. The new body will come up and whatever body comes up, it will combine knowledge power along with some mandate for getting it executed,’ said Kumar.
Those present in the meeting chaired by Sinha included former RBI governor Bimal Jalan, ex-finance secretary Vijay Kelkar, ex-Planning Commission members Saumitra Chaudhuri and YK Alagh.
Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on Independence Day, Modi had said the 64-year-old Planning Commission, a vestige of socialist era, would be soon replaced with a new institution to address the current economic challenges and strengthen the federal structure.
‘We need a new body with a new soul....We will have to think about giving a new shape to the Planning Commission....Very soon this new institute will start working in place of the Planning Commission,’ Modi had said.
He had said that it was set up to cater to the needs of earlier times and has participated in its own way in the development of the country.
‘We had all met in the context of the statement made by the prime minister from Red Fort (on 15 August). We have discussed what could be the new avatar of the Planning Commission,’ said former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who chaired the meeting.
Sinha further said that all the suggestions made by the different experts have been noted and would be forwarded to prime minister Narendra Modi.
‘They have all given some brilliant suggestions. All these (ideas) would be compiled and would be sent to the prime minister,’ Sinha said.
Sinha said the decision about the new body will be taken by Modi. ‘This is a work in progress, it’s not important to discuss the deliberations of today’s meeting, the outcome is important. And that decision will be taken by the prime minister. We also discussed how should the plan be allocated to states as well as the autonomy status to be granted to the new body,’ former finance minister said.
Sinha said it was a long-standing need to reinvent the Planning Commission and the prime minister has taken a bold step.
The meeting took place in two different groups simultaneously; one headed by Sinha had previous members of the Planning Commission, while the second group consisted of economists, including Rajiv Kumar and Pronab Sen.
‘Old body is totally scrapped. The new body will come up and whatever body comes up, it will combine knowledge power along with some mandate for getting it executed,’ said Kumar.
Those present in the meeting chaired by Sinha included former RBI governor Bimal Jalan, ex-finance secretary Vijay Kelkar, ex-Planning Commission members Saumitra Chaudhuri and YK Alagh.
Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on Independence Day, Modi had said the 64-year-old Planning Commission, a vestige of socialist era, would be soon replaced with a new institution to address the current economic challenges and strengthen the federal structure.
‘We need a new body with a new soul....We will have to think about giving a new shape to the Planning Commission....Very soon this new institute will start working in place of the Planning Commission,’ Modi had said.
He had said that it was set up to cater to the needs of earlier times and has participated in its own way in the development of the country.
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