Opposition to target Centre over haste in disbanding Planning Commission

New Delhi: Chief Ministers from Opposition parties are likely to target the Centre over the "haste" in which it has decided to disband the Planning Commission.

"Our party will oppose the manner in which the decision to dismantle the Planning Commission was taken," JD(U) Chief Sharad Yadav said.

The party's government in Bihar is functioning with the support of Congress and RJD.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a meeting of Chief Ministers here tomorrow to give a new shape to the Soviet-era Planning Commission.

Samajwadi Party, which is ruling key Hindi state Uttar Pradesh has decided that while it will not oppose the restructuring, it will voice its disapproval of the "haste in disbanding" the plan panel.

"Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is likely to caution against adopting the approach followed by Planning Commission of 'one size fits all'.

"The UP government is also likely to flag the issue of bureaucratic clutter when funds are sanctioned for states," a top UP official said.

Voices of dissent will also be there from Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress. Finance Minister Amit Mitra will represent West Bengal as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee won't attend the meeting.

Congress' Chief Minister from Kerala Oommen Chandy today said the existing body was well accepted and any new setup should be more effective in further strengthening the Centre-state relations.

Chandy hoped that the Centre would move ahead with its plan only after reaching a consensus on the issue with the states.

"Planning Commission is a well accepted system. It is an effective mechanism through which states and the Centre coordinate on financial issues including resource allocations. If there is any plan to restructure it, states should be taken into confidence," the senior Congress leader told PTI.

In his Independence Day address, Modi had announced that a new institution with a new soul will replace the Planning Commission, which is over six decades old.

Modi argues that it has lost its relevance in the contemporary world and to discuss what shape the Planning Commission should have.