Niti Ayog a tool to control the states, alleges Congress MP Shantaram Naik

PANAJI: Senior Congress leader Shantaram Naik today accused the Narendra Modi government of trying to control the states through the Niti Ayog.

The socialist-era Planning Commission was in 2015 replaced by a new think-tank, Niti Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), which is headed by the prime minister and has all chief ministers as members to involve states in evolving national development priorities.

"The Modi-led government completely disbanded the Planning Commission, and replaced it with the Niti Ayog. The aim of Niti Ayog is to dictate the chief ministers what they should do in their states," Naik alleged.


The Rajya Sabha MP from Goa was addressing a gathering after paying homage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary today.

Naik said that Niti Ayog has been given enormous powers which were never vested with the Planning Commission.

"No chief minister from BJP-run states has the guts to go against the directives of Niti Ayog," he said.

He also criticised the Central government for its policies, including the 'Make In India' initiative which seeks to promote manufacturing in the country.

"The 'Make In India' policy has remained just on paper. In reality, there are hardly any foreign firms which have shifted their facilities in India," Naik said.