New Delhi, September 28
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today summoned Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia this evening ostensibly to thrash a way out of the controversy over the presence of foreign experts in various advisory panels of the
commission.
Informed sources indicated that the Prime Minister and the Deputy Chairperson discussed the issue threadbare in the wake of the tirade launched by the Left parties on the matter.
Sources said various options, including the resignations offered by these experts were discussed and the government was hopeful of an early resolution of the controversy.
Significantly, this was the only meeting the Prime Minister held today after returning from a nine-day visit to London and New York, and sources said that this reflected the high priority Dr Singh had accorded to the issue.
The Prime Minister
"summoned" Mr Ahluwalia hours after a the Planning Commission met internally to deliberate upon the ongoing crisis, which has threatened to snowball into a major controversy as Left economists in the Plan panel have threatened to resign over the issue.
Immediately after the Planning Commission meeting Mr Ahluwalia dismissed as “speculation” reports that foreign experts had already quit from the consultative groups.
“It is speculation... we are also reading the newspaper reports... we discussed the issue and I will report back to the Prime Minister”, he said.
The Deputy Chairperson exuded confidence that the controversy would be resolved “in a day or two”.
The controversy has hampered the progress of the proposed mid-term appraisal of the 10th Five Year Plan.
The 19 consultative groups
constituted by the Commission to give expert opinion, were scheduled to submit their draft reports by November 15. Subsequently, these reports were to be taken up by the National Development Council for further discussion and
adaptation.
Left parties, which are supporting the UPA government from outside, in their critique, however, seem to be offering a way out to the Prime Minister to resolve the tangle.
Although the solution being suggested would be a comedown for the UPA government, which unilaterally took the decision to appoint experts from multilateral agencies like World Bank, Asian Development Bank and consultancy firms McKinsey, Boston Consultancy Group to the panel set up to review the mid-term appraisal of the 10th Five Year Plan 2002-07.
“By all means, discuss with them, consult them but do not accord them the status of being a part of the functioning of a
sovereign state,” the CPM leaders maintained.
“Association of foreign organisations in the process of a mid-term appraisal constitutes an affront,” they said.
