Ibrahim bats for permanent planning board in State

‘It will have the responsibility of reviewing works in all 36 government departments’

March 04, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 07:01 am IST - Bengaluru:

C.M. Ibrahim, Deputy Chairman of Karnataka State Planning Board, has recommended the State government to set up a permanent planning board with independence akin to the judiciary, to review and hold the executive accountable.

He was speaking after inaugurating a seminar on the State Budget by the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy of the National Law School of India University here on Tuesday.

Mr. Ibrahim said the board should have the responsibility to review works in all 36 government departments.

He said that the body should have eight members with responsibility of departments divided among them. It should meet once in three months to review allocation of money to departments and how it is spent, said Mr. Ibrahim, adding that members should have powers to pull up officials who fail to effectively execute plans.

The board should also visit districts and hold consultations. Mr. Ibrahim said the Planning Board will meet in mid-April to review budget allocation and work out a mechanism for implementation.

Focus on spending

Making a presentation at the seminar on gender and budget, K. Gayithri from the Institute of Social and Economic Change said a thorough analysis of the budget will have to focus not on allocation of money but on how much is released and how it is spent.

Bunching together of expenditure in the last quarter was a particular area of concern, she said. More than half the expenditure in many departments happen after December, said Prof. Gayithri.

‘It will have the responsibility of reviewing works in

all 36 government departments’

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