All Cabinet panels get the axe effect, Modi scraps four standing committees

New Delhi: In a move to fast track decisions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to discontinue all four standing committees of the Cabinet, including one on the Unique Identification Authority of India.

The other three committees are the Cabinet Committee on Prices, the Cabinet Committee on Management of Natural Calamities and the Cabinet Committee on World Trade Organisation. The decision follows the Modi government’s move to disband all Groups of Ministers and Empowered Groups of Ministers a few days earlier.

In addition to this, an official statement also said that the Prime Minister will soon be reconstituting the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs and the Cabinet Committee on Security.

With regard to the Cabinet Committee on UIDAI-related issues, the statement said major decisions have already been taken and the remaining issues will be brought before the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, that will also handle the functions of the Cabinet Committee on Prices.

The functions of the Cabinet Committee on Management of Natural Calamities will now be handled by the committee under the Cabinet Secretary.

The functions of the Cabinet Committee on World Trade Organisation Matters will also be handled by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and, whenever necessary, by the full Cabinet.