The move to revive the advisory body received a fillip after the Supreme Court judgment on Monday in the office-of-profit case.
The National Advisory Council (NAC) is likely to be revived, nearly three years after it became dysfunctional.
The move to revive the advisory body received a fillip after the Supreme Court judgment on Monday in the office-of-profit case. The proposal for the revival of NAC was pending before the prime minister. “A decision in this regard will be taken by the Prime Minister after consulting everybody concerned,” said a senior government official.
NAC was initially set up on June 4, 2004, as an advisory body that was meant to monitor the implementation of the Manmohan Singh-led government’s manifesto and the Common Minimum Programme of UPA. It was headed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
The funds for the 10-member NAC were provided from the budgetary allocation for the Prime Minister’s Office.
The opposition was critical of the move, alleging that it functioned as an extra-constitutional body, making Sonia Gandhi the centre of power. However, on March 23, 2006, Gandhi decided to quit the post and her membership of the Lok Sabha in the aftermath of the office of profit controversy.
But now that the Supreme Court has delivered its judgment on the matter, the decks have been cleared for her return as chairman as well as the revival of NAC.
“Last time too she headed the body and now that the Supreme Court has given its approval she will once again head the body, unless she decides otherwise,” said an
official.
The decision whether Gandhi heads NAC or not will be taken by the Congress president and the prime minister, but senior government functionaries are confident that she will be persuaded to head the body.
“The whole idea was to get eminent people from outside the government to come on board. It brings energy and ideas into the government,” said a senior government functionary.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}