NEW DELHI-Political Underpinning for Economic Policies

NEW DELHI Political Underpinning for Economic Policies THE setting up of the Economic Policy Committee of the Cabinet has been variously interpreted. It could be yet another committee with no well defined functions and without much significance. This could be so particularly because another Cabinet committee, the Economic Co-ordination Committee, continues in existence side by side and is supposed to cover nearly the same field as has been entrusted to the new committee. On the other hand, the constitution of the new committee might be taken to suggest greater awareness on the part of the Prime Minister of the need to come to grips with economic policy problems. It could be the starting point of the Prime Minister assuming more direct charge of this field so that economic policies receive the necessary political support which they have not in the last few years.