When the Planning Commission was abolished and replaced by the Niti Aayog, most believed the era of planning was to be replaced with one of execution, with Niti Aayog to play the role of a think tank. The Plan, however, is back, reports Prasanta Sahu in New Delhi. What is proposed is a 15-year Perspective Plan, to be complemented by actionable policies through seven- and three-year strategies.
“There will be a 15-year perspective plan/vision plan, which is linked to the long-term social goals and sustainable development goals,” an official said. To convert the longer vision into implementable policy and action, a seven-year strategy from 2017-18 would be formulated as part of the National Development Agenda (NDA), which would have a provision of a mid-term review after three years. “Further, a three-year framework from 2017-18 to 2019-20 will be aligned to predictability of financial resources during the 14th Finance Commission award period,” the official said. The commission’s five-year award period would end in FY20.
