Post Sonia, NAC struggles for identity

Post-Sonia Gandhi, there are some attempts to reinvent the National Advisory Council (NAC).

Some NAC members were learnt to have held a meeting a few days back to discuss how to convene a formal meeting of the high profile body, which has been rendered toothless since the resignation of Sonia Gandhi as NAC chairperson in the wake of office-of-profit controversy last February.

The meeting ended inconclusively, as some members were of the view that they should not do anything in a haste "unless we know what the government intends to do with the NAC", according to sources present in the meeting.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should be taken into confidence before taking this step, they felt.

Although the government has been frequently convening meetings of the NAC members to update them about the progress on their previous recommendations, "these meetings cannot be called a formal NAC meeting because there is no agenda", the sources said.

"The NAC is now largely monitoring the implementation of the recommendations made earlier. While there are some pressing issues on the table in pursuance of the National Common Minimum Programme, no formal recommendations have been sent recently. But the NAC members are pursuing them and interacting with the government," said NAC member Dr Jaiprakash Narayan.

Meanwhile, another NAC member and Magsaysay awardee Aruna Roy has decided not to renew her yearly contract with the NAC, beginning July.

Although the main reason is that she wants to focus on the implementation of rural employment guarantee scheme, another important factor is the absence of the NAC chairperson, due to which there has been no meeting since February, said her close aides.

Gone are the days when government officials would dread the thought of giving a presentation in front of the UPA chairperson and ready-to-grill members. The wheel has turned a full circle.

The secretary of department concerned now briefs the members and discussions on the presentation remain limited to a few queries.

Early this month, the members had got a briefing on the progress on National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. They will now be briefed on National Rural Health Mission on June 23.

NAC sources conceded that "the situation has changed" in the absence of the political authority (Sonia).