Prime Minister Narendra Modi met all the Chief Ministers in Delhi today.
New Delhi:
Tamil Nadu welcomed the NDA government's move to replace the Planning Commission with a new institution at the Prime Minister's meeting with all the state heads today.
PM Narendra Modi is holding two meetings today - one with all chief ministers and another with his aides - for a consensus on the name, structure and mandate of the new body.
"The Planning Commission's approach has been arrogant and condescending. Its process of consultation, particularly with the states, has been weak and nothing came of the meetings," said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
He also criticised the composition of the panel, saying it had failed because of "the shortcomings in its composition".
In his speech on the Independence Day, the Prime Minister had indicated that the 64-year-old Commission had run its course and it was time to replace it. The government is considering a stronger institution that would be a combination of three-four divisions or departments. Each department or division may be headed by a secretary.
The divisions may include the inter-state council, the planning division, the evaluation division, the Unique Identification Authority of India and the Direct Benefit Transfer department.
The Commission members have suggested that the replacement body be structured to meet the need of changing economic paradigm and comprise sectoral experts and states' representatives.
In her presentation today, Planning Secretary Sindhushree Khullar said the new institution may have 8-10 regulars or executive members with half of them representing the states. It could be headed by the Prime Minister.
The remaining members could be sectoral experts - environmentalists, financial experts, engineers, scientists and eminent scholars from different fields.
Besides the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers, the meeting was attended by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Jammu and Kashmir counter Omar Abdullah have skipped the meet.
PM Narendra Modi is holding two meetings today - one with all chief ministers and another with his aides - for a consensus on the name, structure and mandate of the new body.
"The Planning Commission's approach has been arrogant and condescending. Its process of consultation, particularly with the states, has been weak and nothing came of the meetings," said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
He also criticised the composition of the panel, saying it had failed because of "the shortcomings in its composition".
In his speech on the Independence Day, the Prime Minister had indicated that the 64-year-old Commission had run its course and it was time to replace it. The government is considering a stronger institution that would be a combination of three-four divisions or departments. Each department or division may be headed by a secretary.
The divisions may include the inter-state council, the planning division, the evaluation division, the Unique Identification Authority of India and the Direct Benefit Transfer department.
The Commission members have suggested that the replacement body be structured to meet the need of changing economic paradigm and comprise sectoral experts and states' representatives.
In her presentation today, Planning Secretary Sindhushree Khullar said the new institution may have 8-10 regulars or executive members with half of them representing the states. It could be headed by the Prime Minister.
The remaining members could be sectoral experts - environmentalists, financial experts, engineers, scientists and eminent scholars from different fields.
Besides the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers, the meeting was attended by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Jammu and Kashmir counter Omar Abdullah have skipped the meet.
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