NITI Aayog urges states to execute schemes like Digital India, Skill India on priority basis

NEW DELHI: NITI Aayog is trying to persuade states to implement a dozen or so big-ticket schemes of the Narendra Modi government such as Digital India and Skill India on a priority basis, an initiative that hasn’t gone down well with a majority of them midway into the financial year.

Aayog officials are visiting the states to convince them about the national level, target-oriented programmes and help integrate the schemes into state plans so that they can be put into operation effectively, a senior government official told ET.

“As part of our first round of discussions with states, we are going out to them with a road map for key programmes like Digital India, Make in India, Skill India, Swachh Bharat and Smart Cities, among others. The idea is to create awareness among the states about these programmes and help them prepare their plans in a way that it is in sync with the national programmes,” the official said, asking not to be identified. NITI Aayog, or the National Institution of Transforming India, has two members, Bibek Debroy and VK Saraswat, who handle the states and Union Territories.

The key states with Debroy include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Saraswat deals with Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal.

Traditionally, the Planning Commission, which was replaced by NITI Aayog, was responsible for finalising state plans and allocation of funds to implement key schemes.

NITI Aayog is no longer entrusted with earmarking funds and it now has an advisory role. Even Aayog members are apprehensive about the success of this approach, considering that the states have their own style of functioning, depending on their needs.

“Neither do we have the carrot, nor the stick. Hence, we are playing the role of a facilitator for states,” said another key Aayog official.

While opposition Congress-ruled states are hardly paying heed to the Aayog’s advice, BJP-rules states are trying to adapt as much as possible.