PATNA: Just stopping short of branding some perminent national institutions as farce, CM Nitish Kumar on Thursday said they have lost relevance as they have failed to meet people's expectations.
He named National Development Council (NDC), Planning Commission and National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) in this connection. Speaking here at the inaugural function of the Mirror Conference, Nitish said:
"The NDC has become a ritual. Planning Commission is an annual event where state CMs go to have photo-session with the deputy chairman. NSSO reduces poverty every year, which is contrary to the ground realities.
" Nitish referred to the paper of noted economist and Padma Bhushan award recipient TN Srinivasan which favoured institutional restructuring in the context of centre-state relations. This paper will be presented on Friday.
"I share the view that the NDC has ceased to serve its original purpose. We need to create new institutions for meaningful centre-state dialogue,"
Nitish said. He alleged that many important decisions affecting the states were taken without adequate consultations. Though, Nitish said, Planning Commission is quite sympathetic to Bihar and had increased its plan size, but the panel has no money at its command.
He also favoured Srinivasan's views that Planning Commission be converted into development bank, along with creation of a fiscal council.
Similarly, the CM said, the NSSO comes out with figures every year claiming that poverty has been declining. But as a matter of fact, it is increasing, he said, adding a national debate on poverty will soon be organised here to explode several myths attached to this problem.
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