Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the States into confidence before making any structural changes to the Planning Commission.
In a letter written to the Prime Minister on the subject, the Chief Minister said that Modi’s announcement in his speech on the Independence Day about the Centre’s plan to replace the Planning Commission with another body had raised several concerns for State Governments. State Minister for Planning KC Joseph told newsmen in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday that Chandy had informed the Prime Minister about Kerala’s anxieties in matters including the future of the Five-Year plans.
Chandy pointed out in the letter that the plan allocations for the states and states’ share of Central schemes had so far been decided by the Planning Commission comprising independent economic experts. He wanted to know whether this would be done with justice if the responsibility was given to the Union Finance Ministry.