Let the ideas flow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday as he invited citizens to give their views on the architecture of the body that is proposed to replace the Planning Commission. It reminds one of the call to “let a hundred flowers bloom” by the former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. It is indeed something new and revolutionary, and even if it may end up being more a token gesture, it is worth a try. As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
The motive behind setting up a new institution in place of the 64-year-old Planning Commission is laudable. It envisages, as the Prime Minister said, a new body with a new soul, one that caters to the aspirations of 21st century India and strengthens the participation of the states. This will really strengthen the federal structure of the country and give the states a larger say in shaping their destinies. In fact, the states were at the mercy of the Planning Commission and the government, which often used it to arm-twist states not ruled by the same political party to fall in line. Chief ministers like Ms Jayalalithaa of Tamil Nadu were even reluctant to attend meetings called by the Planning Commission as they were not allotted a respectable time to present their views. The proposed entity will hopefully give the states the respect they deserve and not treat them as vassals of the Centre. This should also percolate down to the district and panchayat levels.
Citizens can give their views and suggestions on the new proposed institution through a specially-created open forum on the website www.mygov.nic as part of Mr Modi’s participative democracy. It is hoped that the new body will also have a strong monitoring section to see that projects are implemented and targets met, that there is no leakage of funds and no corruption.
That the Planning Commission had outlived its relevance was felt and voiced by Dr Manmohan Singh, Mr Modi’s predecessor, nearly two years ago. But with his government in a state of policy paralysis, nothing further happened. So it is surprising that Congress leaders are critical of the government. What is surprising is the criticism from Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavan, who had not bothered to even appoint members to the state planning board since 2009. So, on to www.mygov.nic.
