NITI Aayog pulled up for slacking on 12th Five Year Plan

NEW DELHI: The parliamentary standing committee on finance has pulled up NITI Aayog for its lax approach towards the mid-term appraisal of the 12th Five-Year Plan, asking the government's premier think tank to complete the entire process on a war footing so that its suggestions and proposals can be implemented within the plan period.

"The committee are constrained to note that even though the 12th Plan is in its last year of operation, this vital exercise has not yet been completed and the NITI has prepared only a draft appraisal document,” the committee chaired by M Veerappa Moily said.

With less than one year of the 12th Five-Year Plan period left, the committee wondered how the Aayog's suggestions would be effectively implemented in such a short time.

"The committee are not entirely satisfied with the reply of the ministry of planning in which they have stated that the document would be processed for necessary approvals at appropriate levels in the government before placing it in Parlaiment," the report, tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, said.

The committee was informed of government’s decision of February 2015 that the Aayog would undertake mid-term appraisal of the 12th Five-Year Plan, with a view to incorporating the shared vision of national development and important initiatives of the central government so that this may be implemented in the last two years of the plan period.