Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that States with outstanding records of performance, assessment and indices should be encouraged. Chouhan chaired a meeting of Chief Ministers' sub-group constituted under the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) for result-oriented and effective implementation of schemes and rationalisation of the process of allocation of Central and State shares in the Centrally-sponsored schemes.
The meeting discussed a plan for reduction in the number of Centrally-sponsored schemes, free hand to the States to choose schemes as per their needs, Central cooperation in improving administrative skills, bringing about flexibility in flexi fund schemes, requirements of border States like Jammu and Kashmir, backward areas like Bundelkhand, hilly and north-eastern States, schemes as per their specific requirements and making available Central grants.
Describing the erstwhile Planning Commission's work as a mere formality, the Chief Minister said that at that time sanction for annual plan had to be obtained within a few hours once a year. He desired NITI to continuously guide the States and keep in constant touch with them. The sub-group entrusted the task of chalking out a working draft to the working group headed by NITI 's CEO Sindhushri Khullar.
The next meeting of the sub-group will be held at Bhopal on May 28 where churning will made on working draft and sub-group's recommendations will be written.
Head of the Bhopal meeting, the members of the group were scheduled to visit the States whose Chief Ministers are not members of the sub-group. Their views and suggestions are to be accommodated in the final report. The Chief Ministers of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Rajasthan and Finance Minister of Jammu Kashmir referred to difficult conditions in the States and put forth significant suggestions. The Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Tailangana also sent written suggestions. NITI's Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya, CEO Sindhushree Khullar, Madhya Pradesh's Chief Secretary Anthony de Sa and concerned officers of the Central and State Governments attended the meeting.