Call for decentralisation of NITI Aayog
The NITI Aayog as a think tank at the national level can be effective in a large country like ours only if the planning was decentralised down to the State level by strengthening the State Planning Boards with necessary competence and autonomy, felt former member of Planning Commission and Finance Commission Professor Ch Hanumantha Rao.
​Hyderabad: The NITI Aayog as a think tank at the national level can be effective in a large country like ours only if the planning was decentralised down to the State level by strengthening the State Planning Boards with necessary competence and autonomy, felt former member of Planning Commission and Finance Commission Professor Ch Hanumantha Rao.
Speaking at the three-day pilot programme ‘Orientation of Public Servants in the Context of Telangana’ at the Marri Channa Reddy HRD Institute (MCRHRDI) here on Monday, Prof Rao, who was the chief guest, stated that there had been a talk at the national level about strengthening decentralised planning in the country at the village, block, and district levels with a view to improving the design of schemes as well as ensuring accountability of their performance.
“However, the reports on this subject, despite evoking much interest following their submission, are still gathering dust,” he said. Prof Rao said that Telangana State had emerged at a time when globalisation was in full swing. “Telangana can derive maximum benefit from globalisation by empowering its people through decentralisation and by ensuring universal access to quality education”, he said.
Nearly 75 officers of the Planning Department at Telangana Secretariat, Directorate of Economic and Statistics, and District Officers attended the programme. Vinod K Agrawal, Director-General of the Institute, in his presidential address said exposure to history, culture and heritage of Telangana would be greatly instrumental in giving a big boost to the self-esteem and sense of pride of the employees of Telangana, which would enable them to discharge their duties effectively and efficiently in the context of the aspirations of people of Telangana.
AK Goel, MCRHRDI member, stated that orienting all the employees, whose number is about three lakh, is a gigantic task. The keen interest of the government in this initiative would be instrumental in taking up this ambitious project to the shore, safely and successfully, he said.
Principal Secretary (Planning) BP Acharya said that CM K Chandrashekar Rao was committed to the cause of enriching efficiency of all the employees and towards this, a whopping amount of Rs 30 crore has been provided in the budget. “Planning department staff will work like ‘warriors’ and help other departments to move in realising ‘Bangaru Telangana’,” he said.
