Congress-ruled Arunachal Pradesh today opposed the move to do away with the Planning Commission, saying it is a “national spirit” that must be continued.
The Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Nabam Tuki, described the Plan panel as a single window for small states to air grievances on issues like regional aspirations and Centre-State disputes.
Addressing a meeting convened by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to discuss the future of the Planning Commission, he said to understand the specific and peculiar requirements of the hill/tribal/special categories’ states and to ride on their strengths towards the shared goal of developing them — an institution of the magnitude of Planning Commission is sine qua non (essential or indispensable element).
Tuki said the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had set forth to chart out the development of the nation and for doing so, he envisioned an institution, with fresh ideas and spirit of accommodation for all, especially the weak and marginalised sections of the society.
He said the Planning Commission has had a national consensus and appeal for the last 60 years.
“I firmly believe that this spirit of national consensus must continue. We can safely give credit to the Planning Commission for all the achievements in the Plan sector of the nation,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the body has been undertaking three tasks — drawing the blueprint of the nation’s perspective development plans in the form of Five-year plans, entailing the allocation of resources to states in the form of annual Plan and formulating policies and programmes, and assessment of schemes of the Ministries.
These three broad functions in unison provide the space to the Planning Commission to have a holistic visualisation and implementation of development initiatives of the Government.