Planning Commission to fix growth target after final consultation

Kolkata, Jul 17 (UNI) The Planning Commission would fix the final growth rate target after consultations with state governments, its Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said today.

" There had been criticism in the past that the Commission laid more focus on growth," Singh, who was here to attend the meeting on the draft approach paper on the 11th five year plan, " he said.

" Growth is important, but not everything, " Ahluwalia said.

Although some states were of the view that there was too much emphasis on growth, it would be also difficult for them to prescribe lower growth, he told reporters.

In the approach paper, the plan panel had targeted 8.5 per cent GDP growth over the entire five-year period.

In this context, he said that the final growth rate target would be fixed only after consultations were over.

Today's meeting was attended by the chief ministers of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Bihar and the Finance minister of Jharkhand.

" The paper has aimed at faster and inclusive growth during the 11th plan period, " Ahluwalia said.

" Our aim is to do better than the last five years, " he said.

Ahluwalia said areas which were targeted were doubling agricultural growth, which according to him, was crucial. There were other problems in agriculture also which was causing rural distress, he added.

Regarding the manufacturing sector, he said, it was poised to register double-digit growth. Infrastructure was also an important issue. Bridging regional imbalances has also been dealt with in the paper, he said.

Ahluwalia said education and health were the two areas that would empower the people.

Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen said that West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who was present during the consultation, stated that the approach paper had no mention about land reforms, agricultural distress and collapse of the PDS system.

Sen said the most significant comment made by Bhattacharjee on the draft document, was that there was no mention of a special component for the minorities, although it existed for tribals and scheduled castes.

The West Bengal government also touched upon the issue of jobless growth.

The state suggested that focus on employment would lead to growth and not the other way round.

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that the royalty on mining paid to the state should be ad valorem and not fixed.

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