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Dissecting Pranab's panel load

The FM heads 12 EGoMs and 13 GoMs, but the time those consume and what those have done vary

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Nivedita Mookerji New Delhi
Last Updated : Jun 07 2012 | 12:08 AM IST

Numbers may tell only half the story when it comes to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s oft-mentioned Group of Ministers (GoM) and Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) itinerary.

The ruling UPA coalition’s chief trouble shooter currently heads 25 GoMs and EGoMs but at least six are seen as rather inactive, without much result over two to three years. Another five-six GoMs/EGoMs he chairs are those where key recommendations have been given and the Cabinet has to take a view or the suggestions are in various stages of implementation. Then, there are a couple which are seasonal and do not require regular meetings. Mukherjee, therefore, may not be spending serious time on at least 10 to 12 of the GoMs and EGoMs he heads, an official says.

While on the numbers game, Home Minister P Chidambaram appears a worthy competitor. If the FM heads 13 GoMs, the HM chairs as many as 10 (counting the latest constituted for the coal regulator). Chidambaram is also a member of another 12 GoMs. Even as Mukherjee heads all 12 EGoMs, Chidambaram is a member in seven of these. In the final tally, Chidambaram is a part of 29 GoMs/EGoMs, against Mukherjee’s 25. In all, there are a total of 39 (27 GoMs and 12 EGoMs) of these panels right now.

No big hurry
An example of a GoM headed by Mukherjee that hasn’t moved much is on finding an appropriate location for a National War Memorial. Set up in August 2009, the GoM has failed to finalise a location for the proposed memorial over three years. A GoM formed in July 2010 to deal with honour killing through amendments in law is another instance where nothing tangible has emerged on the matter.

Two other GoMs, to tackle the issue of paid news and corruption, both constituted in January 2011, have not translated into any real action, either. Although the GoM on corruption approved the draft of a Public Procurement Bill, this is yet to be presented in Parliament. In a similar league of “hardly any meetings or action” would be the GoM to provide guidance on coordinating external interface on energy security matters and an EGoM to consider cases relating to call option provisions of shareholders’ agreements at the time of strategic sale of central public sector enterprises (CPSEs).

Then, there’s a string of GoMs and EGoMs where many meetings have happened and some recommendations given, but are now in a state of inertia. The GoM to review the pace of implementation of the reports of the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) is one. Formed in 2007 and reconstituted in 2009, this GoM has considered around a dozen reports of the ARC. The GoM on civil aviation, constituted in 2007, has approved the Air India debt recast and equity infusion plans. It also allowed direct import of aviation turbine fuel by the government carrier. Having completed much of its job, this GoM has now asked the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to give a study on passenger growth in relation to a proposal for an airport near Meerut, less than 140 km from the Delhi airport.

Worked when needed
The GoM for review of fertiliser policy, formed in 2009, has also completed much of its mandate and many of its recommendations are pending with the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs. The EGoM on Ratnagiri Gas & Power Pvt Ltd, set up in 2005 when Mukherjee was defence minister and then rejigged in 2007, has also completed its job and not met in a long while.The GoM to consider environmental and developmental issues relating to coal mining, constituted in February 2011 and headed by the FM, has settled the ‘no-go’ issue and given its final recommendation on fast-tracking clearances for coal blocks linked to eight projects considered critical. It has to complete one more task, of taking a view on the issue of the North Karanpura power project of NTPC, developing which would mean jeopardising a huge quantity of coal reserves located underneath the project site.

The seasonal GoMs, such as the one on effective management of drought, may take up members’ time in only certain months. The EGoM on drought was constituted in 2009, at the height of the worst drought in 30 years. It took decisions to facilitate timely intervention of seeds and fertilisers to salvage the rabi harvest, after the kharif got affected. The panel also approved a diesel subsidy for farmers in drought-hit districts. The GoM did not meet much after 2009. In April this year, the government reconstituted the panel when several parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka were hit by drought.

The EGoM to decide on price band and final price of sale of government shares in CPSEs, set up in early 2007, may not have been too busy of late, as there wasn’t much action on divestment in 2011-12.

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In the news
Moving to the ministerial groups which are relevant as a continuous process, the EGoM on telecom spectrum auction, headed by the FM, is one. Constituted this April, all eyes are on this EGoM for its critical decision on the 2G reserve price and the policy for auctioning spectrum. This EGoM is more or less the same as the one set up in 2009, ahead of the 3G spectrum auction.

Another EGoM making news is the one on under-recoveries of the oil marketing companies on sale of petrol, diesel, PDS kerosene and domestic LPG. Set up in April 2010, it met once last year, when prices of three regulated items — diesel, kerosene and LPG — were raised.

The EGoM on procurement and management of food is also a group that has been of importance. Constituted more than three years earlier, it has taken some major policy decisions like opening the export of wheat and rice in 2011. On overall policy, it has okayed several proposals for enhancing the allocation of food grains for the Public Distribution System, but has been unable to clear a proposal to increase the Central Issue Price, at which grain is sold through ration shops, of wheat and rice since 2002. This EGoM also cleared the much-awaited National Food Security Bill as proposed by the food ministry, despite opposition from the agriculture department.

Formed in August 2007 when Mukherjee was the external affairs minister, the EGoM on gas pricing and commercial utilisation of gas, met only once in 2011-12, as gas output has been under pressure. The other GoMs and EGoMs where Mukherjee and the other members are deeply engaged include those on ultra mega power projects, trade in goods under the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between India and Asean, the coal mines amendment bill, World Trade Organisation negotiations, National Highways Development Project, mass rapid transit systems, and on issues related to Special Economic Zones. The GoM on WTO was rejigged many times between 2005 and 2011, and the EGoM on SEZs was also reorganised several times between 2006 and 2011.

 

With inputs from Ajay Modi, Mihir Mishra, Sudheer Pal Singh, Sanjeeb Mukherjee, Shaikh Zoaib and Santosh Tiwari

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First Published: Jun 07 2012 | 12:08 AM IST

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