PC wants bad schemes out, Montek says wait

NEW DELHI: In the run-up to Budget 2006-07, the Planning Commission and the finance ministry are crossing swords over the politically contentious issue of weeding out ���ineffective schemes���.

The Planning Commission wants the weeding out process to be deferred to the 11th five-year plan but the finance ministry has put its foot down, insisting it be started from the new Budget.

It has argued that money thus saved would help fund UPA���s flagship schemes. Following a missive from the finance ministry, the Plan panel has been forced into taking a fresh look at its stance.

As many as 70 central sector schemes under 27 ministries ������which have outlived their utility and lost their effectiveness������ are on the chopping block. The schemes have a fund commitment of Rs 2,666 crore.

These include I&B ministry schemes for loans (Rs 174.97 cr) and grants-in-aid (Rs 162.26 cr) to Prasar Bharati, urban development ministry���s mega cities plan (Rs 150 cr), department of S&T���s nano technology mission (Rs 200 cr), HRD ministry���s new schools plan ��� Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (Rs 81.5 cr) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (Rs 86 cr) ��� are under a cloud.

Other schemes like department of consumer affairs��� consumer protection scheme (Rs 79.27 cr), department of IT���s C-DAC (Rs 60 cr) and ministry of non-conventional energy���s IREDA (Rs 70 cr) are also on the chopping block.