NITI Aayog starts deliberations for 15-year vision document

NEW DELHI: The government’s premier think tank NITI Aayog on Tuesday started deliberations for a 15-year vision document as it looks to roll out a roadmap for the country’s planning process by the end of this year.

A senior NITI Aayog official said the think tank would “hold stakeholder consultations in groups over the next few months” and aims to prepare the documents “by the end of this year”.

NITI Aayog vice chairman Arvind Panagariya chaired the first meeting with some top economists and senior editors to brainstorm on how to approach the all new planning process.

“There was no agenda for the meeting. The government wants to first discuss with states and all stakeholders on how to do the planning exercise,” said economist Pronab Sen who attended the meeting.

NITI Aayog has been entrusted to prepare a 15-year vision document beginning 2017-18, which will replace the Nehruvian fiveyear planning system prepared for over six decades by its predecessor Planning Commission.

Apart from focusing on sectors such as infrastructure, commerce, education and health, the vision document will also cover internal security and defence, which were not part of the earlier five year plans.

The consultations would also seek suggestion for forming a sevenyear (2017-18 to 2023-24) strategy to convert the longer vision into implementable policy as part of the National Development Agenda, which will be reviewed after three years (2019-10 fiscal).