Garibi Hatao: Govt recasts 20 point programme

New Delhi, Oct 5: The Cabinet today recast the Twenty Point Programme (TPP) to bring it in harmony with the economic changes and new programmes it has launched and brought back the earlier slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' to mark the spirit which would go with it.

The TPP is a package of social sector schemes and programmes having an important bearing for the poor and under-privileged. The thrust of the restructured programme will be on building rural infrastructure.

Briefing newspersons on the outcome of the Cabinet meeting here, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told mediapersons that the forces of globalisation and liberalisation have helped bring down the level of people Below the Poverty Line (BPL). Besides, new programmes have been launched like the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to bring down the level of unemployment in the country, particularly rural areas.

''This necessitated a change in focus of the programme and while doing so the recommendations of the GoM, headed by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee' were taken into account", he said.

'Garibi Hatao' was a solgan given by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and later it was changed to 'Garibi Anmolan'.

The Cabinet again brought back the slogan of 'Garbi Hatao', indicating that the political fervor which went with it was back.

Mr Dasmunsi said the restructured programme will be called 'Twenty Point Programme- 2006.' ''The need for restructuring was considered inevitable as over the years several new policies and programmes have been introduced and brought within its ambit. The Cabinet also considered the need for restructuring of the existing TPP to ensure that the same is in harmony with the priorities contained in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) adopted by the UPA government,'' he said.

The Minister said the UN Millenium Development Goals and the SAARC Social Charter were also considered for inclusion in the TPP- 2006.

The GoM, headed by Mr Mukherjee, had 14 Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State (Independent Charge) as Members of the and the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, as special invitees to look into the restructuring of the TPP-86.

UNI