NITI Aayog to soon unveil policy on important sectors

Readies White Paper on agriculture, energy, manufacturing and social development

Taking forward its project of creating a national agenda in consultation with the states, the NITI Aayog will soon come out with policy papers on critical sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, energy, manufacturing and social development.

These strategic documents incorporate suggestions from state government and seek to address their concerns. Each White Paper will not only highlight key challenges facing the sector, it will also lay down the government's objectives and goals to be achieved in the next few years. These reports could set the direction for key sectors and serve as reference guides for all departments concerned.

According to officials, the Aayog will appoint a team of four-five advisors or consultants to ensure constant communication and problem-solving with the states. These experts would also help in framing the discussion papers.

Earlier, an attempt was made to solicit states' support in rationalising and restructuring 66 centrally sponsored schemes (CSS). In February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chairperson of the Aayog, had announced constitution of three sub-groups of chief ministers on skill development, Swachh Bharat and centrally sponsored schemes.

The Aayog has also constituted a committee under its full-time member and agriculture expert Ramesh Chand to prepare a road map for the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). This scheme aims to provide irrigation water to every farmland. The government has directed all district collectors to prepare a district irrigation plan.

The PMKSY would rationalise all irrigation programmes - like the accelerated irrigation benefit programme of the ministry of water resources, integrated watershed management programme of ministry of rural development and land resources and farm water management component of National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture of agriculture department - and bring these under one roof.

Though the existing schemes would continue to run under the respective ministries, NITI Aayog will play the coordinator and problem solver.

A sum of Rs 50,000 crore has been allocated for PMKSY. This money would be spent over a period of five years. Officials said secretaries from the departments of agriculture, water resources and rural development have been included in the committee. Besides, experts such as the head of Dehradun-based Soil and Water Conservation Institute have been made part of the committee.