NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that most chief ministers have favoured replacing the Planning Commission with an alternative structure which has representation from the central government and the states and expert participation also.
Briefing reporters after the meeting of chief ministers called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss reshaping of the Planning Commission, Jaitley said that most chief ministers were also of the view that the new institution should not be a "merely central government structure".
"Most favoured an alternative structure where the Centre, states and experts participate... A very large majority was in favour of changed structure," he said.
Without naming the Congress or its chief ministers, Jaitley said some chief ministers wanted that revamp should be carried out within the existing body.
"A few, while agreeing with the general principles of change, felt if the present Planning Commission could evolve into that structure," he said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not attend the meeting and the state was represented by its finance minister.
Jaitley said the meeting was followed by a retreat where the prime minister and chief ministers had "an informal meeting" with no bureaucrats present.
He said there was no specific agenda for the retreat and any issue could be discussed.
Answering a query about the final decision of the government on reshaping the planning panel, Jaitley said it will "take a considered view after consultations are over". He did not specify a time frame.
The minister said there was a large consensus at the meeting that "the context has changed and there is need to decentralise both power and planning".
He said there was also a large consensus that states have to be strengthened. He said most chief ministers felt that there was a fallacy that "one size fits all" and the requirement of each state was different and the states know what suits them the best.
Jaitley said the chief ministers felt that the strategy has to be to empower the states and strengthen federalism.
Most states favoured a system which strengthens their ability to deliver and wanted more flexibility "rather than a controlled and command structure", he said.
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