Planning Commission 'overstepping' its advisory on DBTS: Jayalalithaa

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa today charged the Planning Commission with "overstepping" its advisory and allocational mandate and adopting "executive role" by issuing directives on a number of issues related to the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme.

In her address at a meeting with the Plan panel Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia at Delhi, she said while her government was not opposed to the scheme per se, the objections were based on "sound grounds."

Firstly, her government was "strongly opposed" to any move to monetise and transfer in cash the subsidy element of foodgrains and kerosene under the Public Distribution System and supply of fertilisers and other inputs to farmers.

Not just the quantum of subsidy but the access to and timely availability of commodities were the main concerns, she said, adding food and energy security cannot be compromised.

Her government was also opposed to the "executive overreach" by the Centre and the attempt to "insidiously bypass state governments" through the scheme, she said in her address released by the state government here.

"The Union Planning Commission has issued a series of instructions and guidelines on a number of conceptual and operational issues relating to Direct Benefit Transfer with virtually no consultation with state governments. Clearly, the Union Planning Commission is overstepping its advisory and allocational mandate and taking on an executive role," she said.

State governments were expected to place their field machinery at the disposal of the Government of India and were reduced to becoming mere bystanders, she said, adding that the entire approach "divorces" authority from responsibility and accountability and was violative of the spirit of federalism and democratic decentralisation.