Some members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance have a question on NITI Aayog, the body that has replaced the Planning Commission. Is NITI Aayog an ‘aayog’, or commission, or is it merely an ‘institution’, as the acronym NITI — National Institution for Transforming India — says? Asked this question at a meeting of the standing committee last week, Sindhushree Khullar, CEO of NITI Aayog, is learnt to have said in a lighter vein, “Abhi to bachchi paida hui hai. Usey sabke sahyog aur samarthan ki zaroorat hai (The baby has just been born. She needs everyone’s support and cooperation).” Bhratruhari Mahtab, BJD Lok Sabha member from Cuttack who sources said had pointed out the apparent confusion, is learnt to have told representatives of the NITI Aayog, “I will refer to it only as ‘NITI’ and not ‘NITI Ayog’.” Interestingly, as the meeting progressed, Khullar too referred only to ‘NITI’, sources who were present told The Indian Express. The sources said Committee chairman M Veerappa Moily made the point that “it would have been better if this decision (to create the NITI Aayog) was taken after a discussion in Parliament and ascertaining the views of all parties.” Moily, the sources said, asked Khullar, “There is no clarity on many issues. Are you present here as CEO of NITI Aayog or Secretary of Planning?” Khullar is learnt to have responded, “Sir, I am representing both.” BJP Lok Sabha MP from Godda, Nishikant Dubey, reportedly wanted to know, “What will be the role of National Development Council and Inter-State Council in the new set up?” S S Ahluwalia, BJP MP from Darjeeling, is learnt to have asked officials, “Have you done a critical analysis of the functioning of Planning Commission? We need to know whether its agenda was exhausted, or was it failed?” Khullar reportedly told the members that the Hindi word neeti meant ‘policy’, but they pointed out that NITI was a specific acronym, not a word. Fourteen members were present at the meeting, which focused on the NITI Aayog. The Committee is scheduled to meet again on Wednesday. Moily, Mahtab, Ahluwalia, Dubey and Khullar all declined to speak on the record. Sources said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who has also been chairman of the Planning Commission, and finance minister, did not give his views on the matter. The NITI Aayog will be an advisory body, and the power to allocate funds will lie with the Finance Ministry. The Planning Commission could allocate funds to union ministries and state governments.
