Mr Chandy asked the Prime Minister to take the states into confidence before creating a panel
Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy (Photo: DC archives)
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the states into confidence before deciding on the future of the Planning Commission.
In a missive sent to the Prime Minister on Friday, Mr Chandy raised a set of fundamental questions related to Centre-state relations and made it known that he was caught off-guard by the Prime Minister's Independence Day announcement that the Planning Commission will be abolished.
Mr Chandy said that the replacement of the commission would bring about radical changes in centre-state relations. “What would be the status of the 12th Five Year Plan,” he asked. “What would be the status of Annual Plan 2014-15, which is presently under the consideration of the Planning Commission?” He said that the quantum of central assistance to the state was hitherto decided by the Planning Commission.
“It is not clear as to what would be the new mechanism to do this exercise,” he said. He warned that the federal structure would be compromised if this responsibility was given to the Central Ministry of Finance.
Mr Chandy said that the states would begin work on annual plans at around this time. "Will there be an annual plan for 2014-15 in the same format or will there be a change in this process," he asked.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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