The Hindu : Front Page : Cabinet nod for second administrative reforms panel

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Saturday, Apr 09, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

Cabinet nod for second administrative reforms panel

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 8. The Union Cabinet today decided to set up the second Administrative Reforms Commission to prepare a blueprint for revamping the public administration system in the country. The panel would submit its report within a year.

Announcing the decision, the Union Minister and Cabinet spokesperson, Jaipal Reddy, said the Commission would be created as a Commission of Inquiry and its Chairman would enjoy the status of a Cabinet Minister. Apart from the chairman, it would have four members and a Member-Secretary, who will be an official of the Government not below the rank of Additional Secretary.

Public administration issues

The Commission would go into the whole gamut of issues relating to public administration, and a Group of Ministers would finalise the details of the areas, which it would look into. The areas that may be covered include organisational structure of the Central Government, ethics in governance, refurbishing personnel administration and strengthening of financial management systems.

The Commission may, among other issues, also look into matters relating to federal polity, steps to ensure effective administration at the State and district levels, promotion of e-governance, protection and promotion of public order and crisis management. The first such Commission was set up in 1966 with Morarji Desai as the chairperson.

Chaired by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, the Cabinet also decided to set up a committee under the Cabinet Secretary to closely monitor the filling of the backlog in vacancies under OBC, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes categories. The committee would submit periodic reports to the Cabinet on the progress in the filling of vacancies.

The Cabinet also gave an extension of six months to news and current affairs channels to raise the equity base of Indian partners to 51 per cent as per the policy on uplinking. Mr. Reddy said that for a variety of reasons, many news channels have not been able to conform to the requirement that the Indian partners in any channel should have at least 51 per cent equity. "They have now been given an extension of six months up to September to conform to the requirement. This would be the last extension.''

Nagpur airport

The Cabinet also decided to make the domestic airport at Nagpur into an international airport and name it after Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. The decision would help improve air connectivity to Nagpur and thus provide wider choice of services to travellers.

MoU on expressways

In addition, it approved the implementation of the Central sector scheme for development and strengthening of the infrastructure facilities for production and distribution of quality seeds during the Tenth Plan period with a total plan outlay of Rs. 159 crores. The Cabinet also approved the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. in transportation science and technology to take advantage of its experience in developing toll-based expressways and highway networks for the National Highway Development Programme, which is being implemented with private sector participation on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.

The Cabinet also gave its ex-post facto approval for an agreement signed by the Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, and the U.K. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Jack Straw, on February 18 for transfer of sentenced persons.

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