Deputy chair to plan panel likely to be named on Sunday

Recast speculation gain ground after minister’s remark on streamlining the body

seema

Seema Sindhu | July 16, 2014 | New Delhi



Prime minister Narendra Modi is likely to recast the planning commission on July 20, after his return from the BRICS summit on July 17, sources have indicated. However, it could not be verified why a Sunday has been chosen for the purpose.

An official said the PM might name only the deputy chairman (DCH) of the plan panel and the rest of the team would be announced later on in consultation with the DCH.

Several names have been doing rounds for the post of DCH, including former union ministers Arun Shourie, Suresh Prabhu and former RBI governor Bimal Jalan.

Minister of state for planning Rao Inderjit Singh, meanwhile, commented on his Facebook account on Tuesday: “As far as the role of the planning commission is concerned, it needs to be made more streamlined. The states should not take this institution as a hindrance.”

Singh’s comment gives weight to the speculation that the Modi government intends to curtain the role of the body, turning it into an advisory body or a think tank. In that case, it could have a mandate of facilitating policy making and drafting five-year plans – without any say in state annual plans and budgetary allocations to various ministries. 

Comments

 

Other News

CAG flags major fiscal lapses in Maharashtra

Maharashtra`s fiscal management has come under sharp scrutiny after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, in its State Finances Audit Report for 2024-25, flagged significant budgetary inefficiencies, accounting irregularities, understatement of key fiscal indicators and widespread governanc

The health sector research we are not doing

Some neglect is loud. This kind is quiet. It sits in research never commissioned, data never collected, questions never asked. In South Asia, that quiet has let the region’s worst health problems stay understudied, underfunded, and out of sight of those who could act.  

Study flags accessibility and last-mile challenges on Mumbai Metro Aqua Line

Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line), the city`s first fully underground metro corridor and one of its largest public transport investments, represents a major engineering achievement and has been widely welcomed by commuters. However, the overall commuter experience continues to be constrained by accessibili

Centre intensifies preparedness as El Niño threat looms

Amid uncertainty in the southwest monsoon due to the potential impact of El Niño, the government is addressing the situation with comprehensive preparedness, a clear strategy, and strong ground-level action. While challenges remain, the entire system has been activated in advance and is working proa

India is crossing a climate threshold

On June 28, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 41.3°C, four degrees above the seasonal normal. But the “feels like” temperature, which factors in humidity, showed more than 51°C. What the body experienced was very different from what the thermometer recorded.  India`

The Geography of India’s inflation

India today finds itself in an unusual position. At a time when geopolitical conflicts, trade fragmentation, and supply-chain disruptions are reshaping the global economy, the country`s macroeconomic fundamentals remain relatively upwards. Growth remains among the highest in the world, inflation has larg





Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter