Montek retained as plan panel deputy chief

NEW DELHI: The government on Friday reconstituted the Planning Commission that will have Montek Singh Ahluwalia continue as Deputy Chairman and three new members including former member of the PM's economic panel Saumitra Chaudhuri.

The others who will be joining the Commission as members are Narendra Jadhav, honorary vice-chancellor of Pune University and Mihir Shah, Secretary of Samaj Pragati Sahayog.

The government has also retained Abhijit Sen, Syeda Hameed and B K Chaturvedi as members in the reconstituted Commission, sources in the Prime Minister's Office said.

The existing members of the Commission who did not figure in the list of the reconstituted plan panel are Kirit Parikh, V L Chopra, B Mungekar and B N Yugandhar. They are believed to have received letters of appreciation from the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the services rendered to the Commission.

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Ahluwalia along with with other members of the panel had submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister on completion of the term of the last government.