Thrust to be given on Mid-Term Appraisal during 12th Plan
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 7: The Planning Commission of India (PCI) has agreed on giving more flexibility to the States to spend funds allocated under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes during the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) and its Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia will take up the issue with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, who is also the Chairman of the Planning Commission for final orders in this regard.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that consensus on giving more flexibility to the States in the implementation of all Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) emerged during a one-day workshop, which was organized by the Planning Commission at Yojana Bhawan, New Delhi yesterday and chaired by Deputy Chairman of the Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
The Chairpersons of the Planning Boards and Planning Secretaries of all the States and Union Territories of the country attended the workshop, which was a major initiative of the Planning Commission to improve shared understanding of how to plan better and work together.
After threadbare discussion, consensus emerged on giving more flexibility to the States within the framework of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes for implementation of the schemes while taking into consideration the State-specific issues, sources said, adding “currently, the Union Government frames the guidelines and almost entirely funds these schemes leaving States with limited scope on implementation and flexibility would mean giving States autonomy to spend funds allocated under one scheme for other programmes as well”.
“This is being done as one State’s requirement can be different from others and flexibility would go a long way in better implementation of the schemes and yield desirable results on ground”, sources said in response to a question, adding “States like Jammu and Kashmir having hilly and tough terrain would be the major beneficiaries of flexibility in the implementation of CSS”.
The consensus also emerged on maintenance aspect of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes for their better outcome, sources said, adding “Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission was conveyed by almost all the States that in the absence of resources the maintenance of assets created under CSS is not getting required focus”.
It was agreed by the Planning Commission that during the 12th Five Year Plan thrust would be given on comprehensive and result-oriented planning instead of only statistical planning. “The result-oriented planning is imperative particularly in the health and education sectors in order to have real impact at the ground level”, sources added.
It was decided that Mid-Term Appraisal of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes would get lot of importance during the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) and State Governments would have greater role to play in the same. “During the Mid Term Appraisals, it would be decided in consultation with the States as to whether any scheme is required to be continued, modified or closed”, sources added.
Since consensus has emerged on all these vital points, the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia will now project the same before Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, who is also the Chairman of the Planning Commission for final approval following which orders will be issued to all the States, sources said.
“The Commission is also in favour of pruning the number of schemes and transferring the funds so saved to other schemes”, they said.
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