Plan panel gets new members

In line with the UPA government’s social plus economic growth agenda, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh got an economist and social engineers as new members of the Planning Commission.

In line with the UPA government’s social plus economic growth agenda, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh got an economist and social engineers as new members of the Planning Commission.

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The PM has retained the outgoing deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia (66) along with three members — Sayeeda Hamid, BK Chaturvedi and Abhijit Sen. It is for the second time in the panel’s history that deputy chairperson is being repeated.

Mihir Shah, a PhD in applied economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University and secretary of a Madhya Pradesh-based NGO, Samaj Pragati Sahayog, has also been made a member.

Narendra Jadhav, 55, vice-chancellor of Pune University, has been nominated as a member. Third new face would be Saumitra Chaudauri (55), an economist, who was a member of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council.

Name of space scientist and ISRO chief K Kasturirangan was not announced, as he will have to resign from the Rajya Sabha to become a member.

After the takeover, Ahluwalia said panel members would meet all ministers to finalise the road map to implement the government’s 100 days agenda.

“Common man will be our focus. We will concentrate on health and education and for revival of economy,” he said.