Planning in new name

That the proposed apex think tank,

>NITI Aayog (Jan.19), aims at institutionalising policies, the elimination of poverty, transparent governance, women’s empowerment and more inclusive participation of vulnerable groups is welcome. With the participation of the heads of our democratic structure, NITI has become more federal conceptually. There has to be impetus accorded to the active monitoring of policies and institutions, which will ensure accountability and improved efficacy in the end.

Ashutosh Dalal,

Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh

The Planning Commission was a product of the Nehruvian era and largely the result of being taken in by anything with a Soviet hue. The myth was exploded after the disintegration of the Soviet Union as an entity. Now that the Modi government has brought in dramatic changes, it augurs well for the country. Periodic assessment of NITI’s working and functioning will make it alive to situations the country faces while on the road to development.

K. Rajendran,

Chennai

I believe that though the character of the Planning Commission has been changed, planning in the country has not been sufficiently decentralised. Though States have been given representation, the new body still seems to be an extension of the PMO. The impetus to planning will still be controlled from the top. The need is to allow States greater autonomy in framing their own plans, with NITI Aayog providing vital inputs. Only greater freedom to plan and implement plans from the State level down to the village level can secure peoples’ participation in planning and their development. What is necessary too is greater financial autonomy. The new planning body must only work to conduct research, find out best practices, and audit and evaluate the performance of States in order to help them improve.

Prathit Charan Misra,

Allahabad