All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has come down on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led central government for dismantling “the most important bridge” between the State and the Centre. The “bridge” – the Planning Commission of India, set up in 1950, with Jawaharlal Nehru as its first Chairperson, will now be eased out. In his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, prime minister, Narendra Modi has said that a “new institution” will replace Planning Commission “very soon.” AITC condemned prime minister’s approach to dismantle the institution in an “arbitrary manner.”
“Planning Commission is acting as a bridge for all these years between the States and the Centre and Mr Modi dismantled it in an arbitrary manner in a public speech,” said Mr Bandopadhyay. Claiming that the States “coordinate” with the Planning Commission to get funds from the Finance Ministry, Mr Bandopadhyay said that his party will oppose the decision.
“Funding in various sectors, especially rural India, will be affected. We will oppose the unilateral decision to dismantle the Commission in the winter session of the parliament,” Mr Bandopadhyay said. AITC is the first party in the State to condemn the decision to dismantle 64 year organization that was responsible for planning and implementation of “Five year plans.”
