NITI Aayog's mandate must be defined clearly: Par panel

A Parliamentary panel today said the role of NITI Aayog needs to defined more clearly with emphasis on inter-ministerial coordination on central schemes as well as with states.
"The mandate of the NITI Aayog needs greater clarity and emphasis on issues like Inter - Ministerial and Departmental coordination and especially with regard to the Centrally Sponsored Schemes. Coordination with States is also necessary at a centralised level," a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, headed by Congress leader M Veerappa Moily, said in a report tabled in the Lok Sabha today.
The Committee had observed that role and responsibilities of the erstwhile Planning Commission, wherever found relevant and useful, could be gainfully institutionalised with greater result orientation.

The Committee said that the present and evolving role and responsibility of NITI Aayog should also take into cognizance the coordinating role played by the erstwhile Planning Commission to hold the government machinery at Central and state levels accountable towards timely delivery of various policy targets, yearly and quarterly appraisal of objectives achieved and the reasons for deficiencies, if any.
Noting that there has been a substantial pruning of budgetary allocations for Planning Ministry for 2016-17, the panel has asked the ministry to pursue the matter further with the Ministry of Finance to obtain suitable provision for the same at the Revised Estimates (2016-17) stage.

The committee noted that despite NITI's request for a provision of Rs 31,334 crore to fulfill their mandate, the Ministry of Finance have made no such provision in the Union Budget 2016-17.

The Committee has also been informed that a fresh request has been made in May 2016 to the Ministry of Finance to reconsider the provision of funds.
It observed that non-allocation of funds in the Union Budget 2016-17 (BE stage) would adversely impact upon the priority areas/projects, causing derailment of development goals.
It said that given the fact that the 12th Plan (2012-17) period is in its last stage, NITI Aayog should complete the entire process (appraising the plan) on war footing so that their suggestions and proposals can be implemented within the 12th Plan Period.

The panel also asked the NITI task forces on agriculture and poverty to expedite and finalise their reports soon, as the country is keenly looking forward to second Green Revolution and White Revolution and the first Blue Revolution in fisheries.