Departing from convention, the Planning Commission has sent the draft Approach Paper of the 11th Five Year Plan to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh first for approval.
The norm so far has been that the paper is approved by the Internal Planning Commission, which is then discussed at the meeting of the Planning Commission chaired by the prime minister. It is then sent for Cabinet approval prior to being placed before the National Development Council, which has to clear it for implementation.
The prime minister's response is expected this week, a commission official said.
To ensure national consensus and proper implementation of programmes to be envisaged during the next plan period, the commission plans to send the paper to state chief ministers and central ministries and departments for their feedback and suggestions.
"This is being done to see that there is national consensus on the issues and steps to be taken to achieve all round growth and development," a commission official said.
Regional consultations would be held by the commission on the paper and other issues of relevance to different regions so that they are included in the final plan document.
Once these are complete, the IPC would meet again to finalise the paper. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia expects the meeting of the NDC to be held by mid August to clear the approach paper.
The approach paper is already delayed by over five months. The prime minister had said in the NDC meeting held in June, 2005, that the paper would be cleared in December.
The paper envisages accelerating the growth rate from 8 to 10 per cent and for the first time since Independence, seeks to bring down the poverty ratio to less than 10 per cent. It talks of laying a strong foundation for 10 per cent growth in the 12th Plan and double per capita income by 2016-17.
Ahluwalia had earlier said the delay was mainly because it had to take into consideration if the economy was ready for a higher growth rate and issues related to increasing investment and savings requirements to develop infrastructure and social sector. For, the Centre and the states, he said, are faced with a major resource crunch and one had to check if the political structure was ready for the second round of economic reforms.
The about 50-page document moots electricity connection to all villages and BPL households by 2009 and round-the-clock power by the end of the Plan period.
Every village to be connected by telephone by November, 2007, 60 lakh houses for rural poor by 2009 and another 60 lakh by 2012 and expanding secondary school with hostels and vocational education facilities to increase enrolment to 60 per cent of the relevant age group.
Do you want to discuss stock tips? Do you know a hot one? Join the Stock Market Investments Discussion Group
© 2026