SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Tuesday expressed reservation that the Union Government’s decision to replace the Planning Commission with the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog might have ramifications in the centre-state relationship.
“The federal structure of the country which is crucial for the integration of the country needs to always be put as a priority,” the Chief Minister observed while speaking to newspersons here.
“Even the Indian Constitution has mandated that the federal structure should not be weakened,” he said while adding that the most paramount aspect was to have inclusive growth and development which was the only way to strengthen the whole federal structure.
Mentioning that the Planning Commission had already set parameters for transfer of funds from the Centre to the State, the Chief Minister said that most ministries had been unable to release funds in the absence of a Planning Commission like institution.
Sangma was also of the opinion that the time-tested Planning Commission should have been re-organised to keep pace with the changing times.
The Chief Minister also pointed out that a lot of time had been wasted in the debate on the functioning of the Planning Commission.
“I would like to know if this whole debate has ended with the change of name,” he said.
