Gujarat CM makes fresh suggestions to PM’s plan to re-structuring of Planning Commission

Gandhinagar, 7 December 2014

Gujarat Chief Minister Smt. Anandiben Patel termed the Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s decision to wind up the customary Planning Commission and revamping it, which was disclosed at the Chief Ministers meeting held in Delhi yesterday, as a revolutionary; and it will meet its objective to plan so well for future that enable the India to become the Super Power at the world level.

In this meeting, the Chief Minister made several suggestions. She supported the new idea of replacing the Planning Commission with a new entity (institution) which is going to give representation to the States along with the Union Government.

Smt. Patel’s suggestions included:

– The Planning Commission had just become a Central Agency, but, PM’s novel suggestion would be a new institution ‘National Commission’.
– This novel idea of cooperation through “Cooperative Federalism” would strengthen the relationship between State-State and Center-State. It will bring all on the one-platform to resolve long pending and undecided issues.
– It is also bringing the states – having the same situations on one-platform for issue based cooperation.
– For coastal states – from Gujarat to West Bengal (total nine states), there can be one common strategy formed by this new institution for issues such as development of ports, tourism, fisheries and others.
– The new institution can focus more on the macro issues and their implementation part could be left on the state governments.
– It could emphasis on long-term’s strategic vision which ultimate could give directions to the governments.
– It could think over the issue raised by the states and can form the policies benefitting to the states and nation.
– Innovation Portal: The new institution could apply researches, innovations and planning made by its think-tanks and experts from the states to take an initiative in the direction of making ‘Innovation Knowledge Hub’
– Every state’s ‘Innovation Portal’ could give outcomes of its research and works to the National Innovation Commission for the propaganda and disseminations.
– The help for states’ issues like mal-nutrition, child mortality ratio, mother mortality ratio, education, health, electricity, waters and others would be needed from the Centre and new institution. Thus, the new institution, union ministry and state together could play a role of ‘Problem Solver.’
– The States get flexibility on the Center granted schemes: The state should be entrusted for implementation of the Centre’s granted schemes.
– The Central Government should give grants to the state governments for its (Centre’s) schemes as per the allocation made in the Union Budget/Finance Commission.
– The back-door favour to the states by the present Planning Commission in the name of ‘Special Central Assistance’ and ‘Additional Central Assistance’ should be stopped.
– The new institution should give additional grant to any seeking state only from the allocation made in the Union Budget by the Finance Ministry.
– The new institution should adopt a ‘Problem Solving Approach’ rather than ‘Supervisory Approach’.
– The new institution should have “No Role to Play” in sanctioning the annual plan for the states.
– The new institution should be focusing on its targeted objectives and unnecessarily should not be expanding its scope; for this an alertness and institutional equality are required.
– The new institution should prepare a long-term, futuristic national vision for nation building and in favour of nation’s interest.
– The new institution should adopt an open approach, with keeping an eye on the prevalent circumstance on the global scenario, with nation’s interest at the center.

Smt. Patel’s suggestions were supported by the majority of the Chief Ministers.