Niti Aayog chief quits, will return to academics
Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya on Tuesday offered to resign on August 31 from his post, which does not have a fixed tenure, and return to teaching in Columbia University, sources within the think tank said.
PMO sources told this newspaper that Mr Panagariya has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept his resignation, which he had sent earlier during the day. Mr Panagariya could not be reached for his comments.
Sources within the think tank said Mr Panagariya, 64, is quitting as he is not getting an extension of leave from the university where he is a professor of Indian political economy. The Indian-American had taken leave from the university to join as vicechairman of the Niti Aayog in January 2015.
In the US, there is no age bar for teaching and one can teach as long as one’s health permits.
Sources said Mr Panagariya had some time back requested the university to extend his leave further, however it was indicated to him that an extension will not be possible and if he can’t
Sources said Mr Panagariya has quit as he did not get an extension of leave from Columbia University, where he is a professor of Indian political economy
rejoin, he will have to resign as professor. He decided to leave the Niti Aayog instead.
Mr Panagariya, who earlier worked in the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, is the first vice-chairman of Niti Aayog that had replaced the Planning Commission.
Agencies reported that about two months ago he had expressed his desire to the Prime Minister, who is the chairperson of the Niti Aayog, to be relieved by August 31.
In March 2012, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed by Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal at the Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati’s Khanapara on Tuesday. The Prime Minister was there for a meeting to review the flood situation in NorthEastern states. Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday stressed on the need for a permanent solution to the problem of floods in Assam and announced a relief package of `2,000 crore for North-Eastern states, where over 20 lakh people have been affected by floods since April.
Tough days are ahead for Samajwadi Party’s former minister in Uttar Pradesh Azam Khan as the CBI is all set to start its probe into the alleged irregularities worth several crores in the functioning of Shia and Sunni Waqf Boards in Uttar Pradesh.
The role of Azam Khan, who was minister for waqf in the previous SP government, is now under the scanner of the agency.
Sources said, “The agency will soon register its case to probe the matter. Immediately after registering a case, the agency will seek all relevant documents from the state government”.
It has been learned that the UP government’s recommendation seeking a CBI probe into the matter has reached the department of personnel and training (DoPT), the nodal body governing the country’s premier investigating agency-CBI.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath recently recommended a probe by the CBI into the alleged irregularities in the functioning of both waqf boards in the state.
There are allegations that Khan made a trust called the Maulana Johar Ali Education Trust and diverted funds from waqf properties to it, sources added.
The scam worth crores have come to the fore in a probe by the Waqf Council of India (WCI).
“The role of the chairman of the Shia Waqf Board, Wasim Rizvi and Azam Khan had come under scanner after the inquiry by the Waqf Council of India. It is also alleged that Khan as minister allegedly misused his position to grab properties under the boards,” they said. The agency will analyse findings of the WCI report during the course of the investigation, sources said.
The WCI report further stated that the top regulating body, UP Sunni Waqf board, has failed to help even a single needy out of three crore 90 lakh Sunni Muslims in the last 12 years.