New Delhi: The PMO in its statement announcing the abolition of EGoMs and GoMs termed it a “major move” to empower ministries and departments.
Former defence minister A.K. Antony headed most of the EGoMs after Mr Pranab Mukherjee became President of India. Incidentally, at one point, Mr Mukherjee headed more than two dozen ministerial panels.
The panels were formed to take decisions on issues like corruption, inter-state water disputes, administrative ref-orms and gas and telecom pricing. EGoMs had the power to take decisions on the lines of the Union Cabinet. The recommendations of the GoMs were placed before the Cabinet for a final call.
Sources said the step has been taken not only speed up the decision-making processes but also to “restore the authority of respective ministries and the Cabinet”. The move is aimed at reducing levels of decision-making to streamline the system. The PMO and the Cabinet secretary will do the “hand-holding” and intervene whenever necessary.
Sources also said that the committee of secretaries, headed by the Cabinet secretary, would resolve inter-ministerial disputes, if any.
On the GoMs that existed across 10 years, sources said a number of them had hardly met and only a few had delivered decisions.
