Karnataka is working on a plan to achieve the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The State Planning Board, at its first meeting chaired by chief minister BS Yediyurappa, also decided to set up SDG Outreach Centres in all the universities.

In 2015, the United Nations member states adopted the goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure all round peace and prosperity by 2030.

Chief Minister said the State is ranked sixth in the country in implementing the SDGs and was keen to improve its performance in poverty alleviation, eradication of hunger, gender equality, industrial innovation, infrastructure development and sustainable cities and communities.

State Planning Board Deputy Chairman BJ Puttaswamy, addressing reporters after the meeting said the board is being re-named ‘Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission’.

“The Commission is on the lines of the NITI Aayog, the State is also planning to strengthen its functioning and set up a Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO),” he added.

Convergence model

Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics Department, Principal Secretary, Shalini Rajneesh said following the Central Government’s model, the State government has decided to merge 1,863 projects/schemes into a few numbers to ensure higher allocation of funds, effective implementation and utilisation of manpower.

“The Centre has merged several programmes and projects into 18 major programmes. Here too, we have decided to adopt a convergence approach,” she added.

Explaining the rationale for convergence approach, Rajneesh said small and medium programmes would be merged under some major heads. Some departments have multiple projects with the same objectives of social welfare.

Rejuvenation of MSMEs

Among the major decisions taken today, Puttaswamy said “we are to prepare a comprehensive report for the rejuvenation of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector through the active support and intervention from the Institute of Social and Economic Change (ISEC) and establishment of a command, control, computers, communication and combat dashboard of monitoring all programmes.