Mumbai, July 14 (KNN) The Maharashtra Government is planning to set up the Maharashtra Policy Research Institute (MPRI) in order to assist the government in research of policy programmes to help them meet global standards.

Sudhir Mungantiwar, minister for finance and planning, has said that the need for setting up the MPRI was felt as there was no mechanism available with the government to evaluate implementation of its schemes, policies and legislations.

“Till now the government had no mechanism in place to find out whether its policies and programmes were being effectively implemented, whether they were serving their intended target and the people were really being benefited by them,” said Mungantiwar, according to a media report.

Mungantiwar said, “The government comes out with policies from time to time, but there is no mechanism in place to evaluate its implementation. A case in point could be policy decisions or laws like making wearing of helmets compulsory for bikers, or in areas like Human Development Index (HDI). The institute shall also recommend to the government in doing away with laws and policies that are out dated or fine tune them to meet their intended target areas.”

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will reportedly assist the state government in developing research potential, laying down standardised norms of research, developing various model templates and capacity building.

Besides the apex committee headed by the Chief Minister, the high-powered committee headed by state chief secretary, the Consultative committee comprising prominent, reputed persons from the private sector and experts from various sectors of the economy shall form part of the MPRI. There will be a cell for administrative reforms as well. (With inputs from media reports)