GoMs, EGoMs formed due to complexities of issues: Congress

NEW DELHI: With the NDA government today deciding to scrap all 30 GoMs and EGoMs set up by previous UPA regime, Congress defended the ministerial groups saying they were necessitated due to the complexities of issues having inter-ministerial connotations.

Congress leader Manish Tewari, however, stopped short of criticising the decision and said it is the prerogative of the government to run the administration in the manner in which they want.

"But may I respectfully point out that GoMs and EGoMs were constituted primarily because most issues these days are complex. The issues have inter-ministerial connotations and implications.

"Therefore by having an inter-ministerial group, empowered or otherwise, you would bring to the table in a cohesive manner expertise across different ministries," he told a newschannel.

Announcing the decision to scrap nine Empowered Groups of Ministers (EGoMs) and 21 Groups of Ministers (GoMs), the PMO had said this would expedite the process of decision-making and "usher in greater accountability in the system".

It said wherever the ministries face difficulties, the Cabinet Secretariat and the Prime Minister's Office will facilitate the decision-making process.

The step is aimed at reducing the levels of decision- making and streamline the system. The Prime Minister's Office and Cabinet Secretary will do the "hand-holding" and intervene whenever necessary, they said.

Any inter-ministerial dispute can be solved by the Committee of Secretaries, headed by Cabinet Secretary, which is already in place, the sources said.

On the GoMs which existed during the 10 years of Manmohan Singh government, the sources said a number of them had hardly met and only a few had delivered decisions.