Montek promises flexibility on Centrally-sponsored schemes

Thiruvananthapuram, July 21 (UNI) Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia today promised maximum flexibility on Centrally-sponsored programmes in view of the general demand to make available funds to the state governments for locally relevant schemes.

He was speaking to newspersons on the sidelines of the Regional Consultations of Draft Approach Paper for XI Five Year Plan (South Zone).

Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Andhra Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and Pondicherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy are attending the two-day meeting. Tamil Nadu is represented by its Planning Board Vice Chairman M Naganathan.

Mr Ahulwalia pointed out that a general demand for making funds available to state governments for locally relevant programmes had come up in all zonal meetings. ''It is a very genuine issue and we need to look into it in favour of making it more flexible,'' he added.

In his speech, the Kerala Chief Minister pointed out that notwithstanding the assurance in the Common Minimum Programme that all Centrally-sponsored schemes, other than in high priority areas like family welfare, would be stopped and funds made available to the state government for locally relevant programmes, they were being continued with wider scope.

''This arrangement must end, and a certain total pool of resources must be made available to the states as a whole and distributed among them in accordance with certain clear criteria for expenditure on priority areas catering to social needs,'' he added.

He said states should be allowed to opt out of any Centrally- sponsored scheme and get compensated by an amount proportionate to its population.

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