Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 2: Governor NN Vohra will attend first meeting of the Governing Council of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog in New Delhi on February 8, which has been called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Prime Minister, who will chair the meeting, has invited Vohra to attend it. This will be first meeting of NITI Aayog, which was constituted last month replacing the Planning Commission of India.
Official sources said that Vohra today reviewed the issues of Jammu and Kashmir Government, which will be placed before the NITI Aayog in its first meeting, with Principal Secretary, Planning and Development BR Sharma and Principal Secretary Finance, BB Vyas.
This will be first meeting of the NITI Aayog, which has replaced the Planning Commission of India to review needs and requirements of the States, finalize their Annual Plans and provide them other assistance under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes etc.
The Governor reviewed with Sharma and Vyas the State Government’s approach towards proposed operational framework of the NITI Aayog.
Sources said Vohra would place before the Aayog the demands and requirements of Jammu and Kashmir especially for its development.
The officers highlighted the special concerns of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the context of the huge resource gap in funding the annual plans and the need for long term planning for the balanced development of the State.
“They felt that any strategic planning for J&K’s development should factor in the availability of State’s natural resources and skill sets with innovative and sustained capacity building efforts to harness its full potential. While undertaking any planning exercise need for imparting the requisite flexibility to the State for meeting its requirements was emphasized,’’ sources said.
It was also noted that, any planning for J&K’s growth must reckon the higher cost of delivery of public services in the State and, besides, the missing multiplier effect in view of the inadequate local capacities.
The Governor will highlight all these issues in the meeting of the NITI Aayog, sources said.
Meanwhile, in another significant decision, the Government constituted two Panels—Apex Committee and Monitoring Committee for implementation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much publicized `Make in India Programme’ and ease of doing business in the State.
The Apex Committee, headed by the Chief Secretary and comprising Administrative Secretaries of various departments besides others, will address the issues identified by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Government of India, for action by the State Governments for ensuring Ease of doing Business and creating an enabling framework for stimulating investment in manufacturing. It will also address the issues brought before it by the Monitoring Committee.
The Apex Committee shall meet at least once a month or more frequently, if so desired by the Chairman.
Administrative Secretaries of Industries and Commerce, Planning and Development Department, Finance, PDD, IT, Revenue, Labour & Employment, H&UDD, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Excise Commissioner J&K, Chairman Pollution Control Board, Commissioner Commercial Taxes J&K, Director Industries and Commerce Jammu/Kashmir, President Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries, President Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries and president Federation of Industries Jammu/Kashmir are members of this Apex Committee.
The Monitoring Committee, headed by Financial Commissioner Industries and Commerce Department, shall review the existing procedures prevalent in the I&C and other Government Departments that regulate the setting up and smooth working of Industry in the State.
The committee shall make recommendation for the reform of the Single Window Clearance System, obtaining of NOCs and clearance from different department like Pollution Control Board, PDD, Municipal Corporations and Revenue Department etc, online clearance, allotment of land, setting up of Investor Facilitation Cell and online response to FAQs etc. It shall meet at least once in two weeks or more frequently, as desired by the Chairman.
The Monitoring Committee will comprise of Administrative Secretaries of PDD, Information Technology Department, Industries and Commerce, Chairman Pollution Control Board, Director Industries Jammu/Kashmir, Joint Director (Dev) Industries and Commerce Jammu/Kashmir, MD J&K SIDCO, MD J&K SICOP, Director NIC J&K, Director Handloom, Director Handicrafts and president Federation of Industries Jammu/Kashmir.
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