Planning Commission is greatest ally of my ministry: Khurshid

Not withstanding the recent criticism of Planning Commission by some of his ministerial colleagues, Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid feels that the central body is the "greatest ally" of his ministry.

Not withstanding the recent criticism of Planning Commission by some of his ministerial colleagues, Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid feels that the central body is the "greatest ally" of his ministry.

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"I work very closely with the Planning commission. It is our strongest, greatest ally. In most of our meetings, we
invite Planning Commission and they do come and give valuable suggestions," Khurshid told PTI in an interview.

Terming the Planning Commission as an "armchair advisor" to the various policies it is supposed to be undertaking, Road
Transport Minister Kamal Nath had in the first week of July said, "Producing a book is one thing and producing a road is
another thing."

Senior Congress leader Anil Shastri had also trained his guns on Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh
Ahluwalia for his remarks that inflation will ease by December end.

In the microblogging site 'Twitter', Shastri, a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee and also the Editor of party mouthpiece 'Congress Sandesh', had said, "Deputy Chairman Planning Commission has said inflation will ease into
a comfortable zone by December, which he said verbatim last November also".

Khurshdi, however, maintained "I am only saying how I feel, if somebody else feels different then that is a
different matter. I feel Planning Commission is a strong ally of Ministry of Minority Affairs and Ministry of Corporate
Affairs."