Satheesan: Kerala Departments Claimed Under 25% of Eligible Central Projects

Keralam to take steps to tap Central projects: V.D. Satheesan

An examination of Central government projects has shown that State government departments have not claimed even 25% of the projects for which the State is eligible, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said.

The Keralam government is now embarking on a major initiative to tap these projects through a planned and sustained approach, he said. Satheesan said the State’s effort would focus on identifying eligible projects and securing its due share from the Centre.

State Planning Board to examine projects

After the United Democratic Front government came to power, the State Planning Board was asked to examine the Central projects available to the State. The government intends to claim its due share by preparing detailed project reports and putting the necessary pressure on the Centre, Satheesan said.

He also pointed to a change in the approach to projects at the Centre after the Planning Commission was replaced by the NITI Aayog. According to Satheesan, the shift has introduced a project-oriented approach at the Centre.

The remarks came in response to questions about last week’s Cabinet decision to appoint Indian Union Muslim League leader M.K. Muneer as chairperson of the Administrative Reforms Commission and Forward Bloc leader G. Devarajan as the government’s representative in New Delhi.

Dispute over proposed planning reforms

The UDF government’s proposal to transform the State Planning Board into a ‘think tank’ had earlier sparked a row. The Opposition Left Democratic Front expressed concern that the board would share the fate of the Union Planning Commission.

The government’s latest position places the Planning Board at the centre of its effort to assess Central projects, prepare the required reports and pursue the State’s claims with the Centre. Satheesan said the planned approach was necessary because State departments had so far claimed less than the full share of projects for which the State was eligible.

Source: The Hindu