The deadline for implementing the schemes announced under the 12th Five Year Plan has been extended by six months, from March 31 to September 30, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday.
Officially, 12th Five Year Plan, which is also the last, ends on March 31. “This extension is granted only for a period of six months after March, 2017. By September 30, 2017, the appraisal/approval of all such schemes should be completed as per the laid down procedure. No further extension shall be granted for continuation of the schemes,” the ministry said, according to PTI.
The ministry also asked the financial advisors to prepare a list of schemes with financial implications of more than Rs 500 crore that the department proposes to continue even after the Plan ceases to exist. Besides, posts that were created for the schemes under the 12th Five Year Plan will remain in place till September 30.
In May last year, the central government had decided to discontinue the five-year plans set up by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru after the current one ends in March 2017. The Centre had replaced it with a 15-year blueprint with a shorter seven-year strategy, as part of its National Development Agenda. The new blueprint focuses not only on social and sustainable development goals, but on defence and internal security as well.
The NITI Aayog, which replaced the Planning Commission when the Modi government came to power in 2014, has been entrusted with the task of formulating the 15-year plans. The central body was asked create a platform to monitor, evaluate and review various schemes and also specify target results.
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