lannin in ndia 5.13
Minister of Planning is already an ex- functions of the Pc
officio member of the PC.47
Though the PC was set up with a definite
(v) An autonomous body entitled to form its purpose of planning, nobody knew that it would
own views on important issues and place extend its functions over the entire spectrum of
them before the governments. It worked administration in the country. It was described as
closely with the Union and State cabinets the ‘economic Cabinet of the country as a whole’
and had full knowledge of their policies. even encroaching upon the constitutional body
(vi) Was invariably consulted on changes like the Finance Commission50 and not being
proposed in social and economic policies. accountable to the Parliament.51 Through time
To ensure free and full exchange of ideas, it built up a heavy bureaucratic organisation52
the PC had established a convention that which led even Nehru himself to observe—“The
it will not give publicity to differences of Commission which was a small body of serious
views between the Commission and the thinkers has turned into a government department
Union and State governments. complete with a crowd of secretaries, directors and
(vii) Linked with the Union Cabinet at the of course a big building.”53
secretariat level. The PC was part of the Though the functions of the PC were extended
Cabinet organisation and the ‘demand for to include timely changes in the planning needs
grants’ for it was included in the budget (in the reforms era), its functions were announced
demand for the Cabinet Secretariat. by the same government order which did set up
(viii) Seated at the ‘Yojana Bhavan’, the the Planning Commission. The order54 says:
Commission had a staff of secretaries and
“The Planning Commission will—
advisers and also a research organisation.48
(i) Make an assessment of the material,
(ix) The PC was a technical body with experts
capital and human resources of the
and professionals coming from an array of
country, including technical personnel,
specific areas as per the need of planning
and investigate the possibilities of
of the concerned period (see footnote
augmenting such of those resources as are
42).
(x) The Commission had executive powers.49 50. Rajamannar was the Chairman of the Fourth Finance
Commission. See Ministry of Finance Report of the
47. There was a provision of only three Cabinet Ministers Fourth Finance Commission (New Delhi: Government
as its ex-officio members namely the Finance, Human of India, 1965) pp. 88–90.
Resource Development and Defence upto July 2004 51. By the 1950s it was a general criticism of the PC
when the United Progressive Alliance Government which looked highly logical. But through the entire
increased it to include the other three Cabinet Ministers, period of planning the Government never did think to
viz., the Railways, Agriculture and Information convert the PC into a constitutional body. Practically
Technology. It has been only once in the history of the enough, the Union Cabinet and the whole Government
PC that it had six Ca inet inisters as its ex officio is accountable to the Parliament for the functions of
mem ers, i.e., in the final years of the a iv andhi the PC as it has complete mandate and support of the
regime (The Economic Times, 16 July 2004, N. Delhi governments of the time.
Edition). 52. Appleby, Public Administration in India: Report of A
48. Publications Division, Gazetteer of India, p. 11. Survey, Ford Foundation, 1953, p. 22.
49. Prima facie a body should have been either constitutional 53. As quoted in D.D. Basu, An Introduction to the
or statutory to wield the executive powers, but as a number Constitution of India (New Delhi: Wadhwa & Company,
of Cabinet Ministers as well as the PM himself were 1999), p. 330.
directly involved with the PC, it used to wield executive 54. Publication Division, The Gazetteer of India, Vol. 3,
powers for all practical purposes. op.cit., pp.10–11.