Many important committees headed by PMO fail to hold regular meetings
21 Feb, 2014Reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that meetings of many important councils and committees formed and headed by Prime Minister (PM) Man Mohan Singh have either not been held or held rarely. The reply procured from the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) shows that important committees on nutrition, skill development, climate change, and micro, small, medium enterprises (MSME) haven’t had a single meeting for many years. The data provided shows that :
· PM’s council for nutritional challenges was set up in October 2008 to address child and maternal malnutrition in 200 worst-affected districts. The council met only once in November 2010, and is yet to meet again while India continues to be ranked behind Pakistan and Bangladesh on the Global Hunger Index. The PMO said it has been following up the matter with different ministries, departments and the planning commission on a regular basis.
· PM’s council on MSMEs which was constituted in September 2009 to formulate policies to provide incentives to MSMEs feeling the pressure of economic slowdown, did not have a single meeting. The PMO has informed that the adviser to PM is monitoring the implementation of the report on MSMEs that resulted in the setting up of the council. The adviser has meetings with the ministries on a need basis.
· The PM’s council on climate change was constituted in June 2008 to coordinate national action to combat climate change. It did not hold a single meeting in more than three years.
· The PM’s national council on skill development which was constituted to create jobs for millions of youth, last met in January 2012.
Activists have alleged that such an inaction indicates a neglect of the social sector by the current government.