Former NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya.
The Niti Aayog, whose Vice-Chairperson Arvind Panagariya resigned on Tuesday, has recently faced sharp criticism from RSS affiliates. The affiliates, run by veteran swayamsevaks, have accused the Aayog of “running a corporate agenda” and termed it a “job killer” that has little concern for the social sector. In his May 1 letter to PM Narendra Modi, Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan blamed the Health Ministry and Niti Aayog for “colluding” with pharmaceutical companies to “sabotage the drug price control regime”.
Noting that “your departments are acting against what you have promised the people of India”, Mahajan wrote that the “prices of most essential commodities are too high for the majority of people”. He “strongly protested” the “Aayog’s attempts to deregulate the pharmaceutical market” and urged Modi to “intervene”.
“The task of the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is to regulate prices of drugs and other medical equipment. It had a role in bringing down the price of stents. Those in the government influenced by MNCs are trying to dismantle NPPA,” Mahajan said.
“Niti Aayog has recommended that NPPA should be dismantled and there is no need for price regulation. Once it is dismantled, companies will be given a free hand,” he added.
The SJM has also often accused the Aayog of “running a corporate agenda” and slammed it for its support to genetically modified crops. In January, it held a seminar to review the Aayog’s policies and functioning.
The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has also criticised Niti Aayog. In its national conference in May, the BMS noted that the Aayog had no concern for the social sector, BPL population, farmers and micro industries and demanded that it be “reorganised” to suit Indian needs.
In a veiled attack on senior functionaries like Panagariya, BMS president C K Sajinarayanan recently said that “major (government) bodies are headed by people imported from outside. This government is following the same policies of the UPA government on financial and economic sector”.
“The model proposed by Niti Aayog does not suit Indian conditions. It is becoming a job killer… The PM’s mandate is not reflected in its documents. Bureaucrats are governing the country,” he added.
SJM co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan said: “Pangariyaji was a supporter of globalisation. We raised several questions before Niti Aayog on a variety of issues, but did not get any satisfactory answer. They ran a corporate agenda on various issues. We hope his (Panagariya’s) successor makes a decisive shift.” Sajinarayanan said, “The government should appoint a person who can contribute to the social sector.”
