After a two-month lull forced by the Lok Sabha polls, Monday saw the government machinery swing back into action to prepare the ground for the new government, likely to be sworn in on Saturday. Now that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his council of ministers have resigned, and President Pratibha Patil dissolved the 14 th Lok Sabha, officials worked overtime to prepare priority action plans for their new ministers.
Monday was also a hectic day for Congress leaders, who strained every nerve to sketch the new Cabinet, ahead of a meeting with their alliance partners on Wednesday. Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, rumoured top contender for the finance minister?s post, too resigned, along with the panel members, to let the new PM reconstitute the Commission as per convention.
?The Prime Minister has asked all ministries to come up with measures that need to be considered and implemented on a priority basis in the first three months of the new government. A committee of secretaries met to discuss this today and we are chalking out our respective plans,? a senior government official told FE. Before the CoS meeting, individual secretaries held preparatory meetings with their department officials.
The finance ministry is also working on a 45-day revival plan for the economy and has sought suggestions from other departments and ministries. Revenue secretary PV Bhide continued with preparations for the early July Budget, meeting a Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) delegation in the afternoon.
The industry body asked for an investment-led Budget with a focus on infrastructure. ?We haven?t sought another stimulus package as the Budget will spur the economy,? said Hari S Bhartia, vice-president of CII.
The Congress had, in its manifesto, promised that it would take steps to revive the economy in 100 days and would present the Budget within 45 days of forming the government.
Simultaneously, efforts are on to determine the fresh measures and initiatives the new government would focus on, in order to incorporate them in the President?s inaugural address to the 15th Lok Sabha.
Manmohan Singh is expected to be sworn in on May 22, the same day his current government was formed in 2004.
While the Congress and its allies will formally meet on Wednesday, representatives from key allies like the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Trinamool Congress will land in the Capital for consultations on Cabinet berths. Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh said a common minimum programme for the next five years would be drafted by the Congress with its allies.