The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State Planning Board to be revived

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Friday, Sep 02, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State Planning Board to be revived

Special Correspondent

Government may opt for economist for Deputy Chairman's post

BANGALORE: The Government will be reconstituting the State Planning Board and this time an economist and not a politician will be the Deputy Chairman. The Chief Minister is the Chairman of the Board.

Finance and Industries Minister P.G.R. Sindhia told presspersons after a meeting with officials of the Planning Department here that an economist will be appointed to the post. The Deputy Chairman and members of the board will be appointed in consultation with Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh. The board has not been constituted for the last few years, he said.

H. Hanumathappa, senior Vice-President of the State Congress, was the last Deputy Chairman. A decision has been taken to reconstitute Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) committees at the district and taluk levels. Five members to the district level and six members to the taluk level committees will be appointed soon, he said.

For effective implementation of Government programmes, the meeting decided to constitute monthly multi-purpose review committees at the taluk level. Till now these meetings were being held only at the State and district levels, Mr. Sindhia said.

In the absence of these meetings at the taluk level, the funds were not being utilised on time. For instance, the Centre has released Rs. 45 crores under the National Sama Vikasa Yojana programme to Gulbarga, Bidar, Davanagere and Chitradurga districts in three years. But only Rs. 21 crores was spent so far, Mr. Sindhia said. He said the Hyderabad-Karnataka, Malnad Area and Border Area Development Boards will be reviewed next month.

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