NITI Aayog outlines 15-year vision document

The new planning body, NITI Aayog, on Sunday unveiled the new approach towards perspective planning, which envisages a 15-year long-term vision, accompanied by a 7-year strategy and a 3-year action agenda.

Addressing the third meeting of the governing council of NITI Aayog, vice chairman Arvind Panagariya outlined the draft action agenda, which had been prepared with inputs from the states.

Broad outlines of the 15-year vision document envisage, among other things, housing for all with toilets, cooking gas, electricity and digital connectivity, access to two-wheelers or cars, air conditioners, and other such ''white goods'' for nearly all, a literate population with access to health care, a much larger and modern network of roads, rail, waterways and air connectivity, and a clean India, with cleaner air in cities and villages.

He noted that there were over 300 specific action points that had been identified, covering the whole gamut of sectors. The period of the action agenda coincided with the period of the 14th Finance Commission's award. This gave stability to the funding estimates of both the centre and the states. He solicited the inputs and support of the states in taking the vision forward.

Revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia made a presentation on GST, explaining the benefits of the system and the way forward. He urged the chief ministers to expedite the enactment of state GST Acts.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made a presentation on doubling of farmers' income. He touched on areas such as irrigation, technology generation and dissemination, policy and market reforms, e-NAM, livestock productivity, etc.

Member-agriculture, NITI Aayog, Ramesh Chand, elaborated on some of the steps needed for doubling farmers' income and spoke of the various elements of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, such as accelerated irrigation benefits programme, `har khet ko pani', and `per drop, more crop.'

Addressing the gathering CEO Amitabh Kant reiterated NITI Aayog's resolve to facilitate partnership with states for transforming India under the framework of cooperative and competitive federalism.

He said NITI Aayog will work with states to improve basic services and infrastructure, in districts and regions which require specific attention, as part of the efforts to transform the economy.

Kant apprised states of the work done by Niti Aayog for transforming the economy in cooperation with states in the sectors of education, health, infrastructure, etc. He spoke of the work done by the sub-groups of chief ministers on rationalisation of centrally sponsored schemes, Swachh Bharat Mission and skill development.

He also outlined initiatives taken in areas such as agriculture, poverty elimination, health, education, digital payments, disinvestment, coastal zone and island development etc.

He requested the states to treat NITI as their outpost in Delhi.

Kant said, NITI Aayog is working on a platform for sharing best practices to strengthen the learning ecosystem. It has partnered with large number of top ranking Institutions for knowledge sharing and ideation to nurture evidence-based policy making.

(Se: PM asks states to speed up GST legislation to build a new India)