With planning minister Arun Shourie entrusted with the additional charge of disinvestment, Yojana Bhawan, the seat of the plan panel, now has the distinction of housing two members of the cabinet committee on disinvestment (CCD). For, apart from Shourie, commission deputy chairman KC Pant is also a member of the CCD. Shourie is also the ex-officio member of the Commission.It is, however, not only the divestment front that has put the plan panel to the centrestage. It will also be playing a key role in the National Commission on Population which is headed by the Prime Minister AB Vajpayee. Pant is vice-chairman and commission adviser Krishna Singh is member-secretary.

PM has already announced a National Population Stabilisation Fund with a seed money of Rs 100 crore as corpus.

Pant heads a number of groups of ministers (GoMs). On power, the GoM is considering the roles of the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Regulatory Authority. The GoM is also deliberating upon the Electricity Bill, 2000.

Another GoM Pant heads is working on the complicated issue of labour. The GoM proposes to drastically amend the Indian Disputes Act to make labour environment conducive for industrial development. The GoM is also working on a new legislation on contract labour which, if cleared by Parliament, will make such labour popular among employers.

Pant also heads the GoM which was set up to look into the issue of sick public sector enterprises. The GoM is expected to make recommendations regarding payments of wages, salaries and statutory dues of employees of Central PSUs, a VRS policy, periodicity of wage revision, etc.

He is in-charge of the task force on infrastructure. The task force is entrusted with the task of completing the national highway development project. This involves building new roads, four- and six-laning of the existing highways, involving the private sector, evolving new methods funding, etc.

Pant heads the Prime Minister's council of trade and industry.Significantly, the plan panel's role is not restricted to the matters pertaining to the so-called economy. Pant heads the task force for developing knowledge-based society.

Plan panel member Montek Singh Ahluwalia heads the group on telecom which was set up under the GoM on telecom.

In other words, the Planning Commission is no longer a "dumping yard for unwanted bureaucrats," as it was seen by some people. It has re-invented itself-ironically, as an engine of liberalisation.