Plan panel should have been re-organised: Meghalaya CM

PTI SHILLONG, JANUARY 7 [dropcap]E[/dropcap]xpressing reservation on the Centre’s replacement of the Planning Commission with NITI Aayog, Meghalaya Chief Minister said the time-tested Planning Commission should have been re-organised to keep pace with times. “The Planning Commission is a time-tested organisation. It should have been re-organised to keep pace with the changing times,” the Meghalaya CM, Mukul M Sangma told PTI. Pointing out that a lot of time had been wasted in the debate on the functioning of the Planning Commission, the Chief Minister said, “I would like to know if this whole debate has ended with the change of name.” He said most ministries had been unable to release funds in the absence of a Planning Commission-like institution which had set parameters for transfer of funds from the Centre to the State. Expressing his reservation on the functioning of the NITI Aayog, the Chief Minister said ‘it might have ramifications’ in the centre-state relationships.“The federal structure of the country which is crucial for the integration of the country needs to always be put as a priority,” he said. Stating that even the Indian Constitution has mandated that the federal structure should not be weakened, he said that the most paramount aspect was to have inclusive growth and development which was the only way to strengthen the whole federal structure. On the ‘ghar wapsi’ programme of the RSS, Mukul said, “The country is glued despite diversity. The moment there is feeling of mistrust, it will have a negative impact on unity and harmony.”