15th Five-Year Plan: Former Keralam Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac slams Planning Board’s decision to empanel outside agencies

Thomas Isaac | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

A Keralam State Planning Board move to involve consulting firms and think tanks along with research institutions in the preparation of Keralam’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2027-2032) has drawn criticism from CPI(M) leader and former Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac.

Mr. Isaac wrote on Facebook that the decision reflected the V.D. Satheesan-led UDF government’s decision to transform the Planning Board into a ‘think tank’ on the lines of the NITI Aayog. He alleged that discussions in the Working Groups of the Planning Board, which are customarily tasked with preparing comprehensive reports for the drafting of the plan document, will now be curated by these outside agencies.