PMO no longer first stop for vetting policies proposed by ministers

NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) would no longer be the only first stop for vetting policies and schemes proposed by individual ministers for consideration of cabinet committees.

The Modi cabinet cleared a dozen significant policies and projects in its meetings on Wednesday, just a week after fresh instructions were sent out to secretaries of all ministries on the procedure for approaching the cabinet.

In a bid to expedite decision making, the government has asked ministries to ensure that the cabinet secretariat also gets a copy of all draft cabinet proposals along with the PM's office.

Prior to this, departments had to share draft proposals with the PMO and then initiate inter-ministerial consultations. The cabinet secretariat, responsible for all co-ordination and agenda setting work of cabinet panels, only came into the picture after such consultations were over and a final cabinet note had been shared with the PMO for at least a week.

“It has now been decided that the ministries and departments send an advance copy of the draft to the cabinet secretariat also at the time when it is circulated to other departments for comments. These instructions may be noted for strict compliance," an office memo dated September 1 has stressed.

The move, said officials, is aimed at smoothening the process of taking critical decisions.

“The Cabinet secretary is considered the top bureaucrat in the government, but is kept out of the loop till proposals for the cabinet have been drafted, discussed and finalized under PMO's guidance," said an official.