Planning Commission to work on a strategy to strengthen agriculture

Mumbai, Oct 6 (UNI) The Planning Commission is working out a strategy in association with the Union Ministry of Agriculture so as to double the average agricultural growth of the country within next five years, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia today said.

Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the inauguration of 'SEBI Bhawan' here, Dr Ahluwalia said that though the growth of Indian economy so far was faster and enthused, there was no substantial growth in the agricultural sector which was still hovering less than two per cent. ''Hence a new set of policies was needed to give a boost to the agriculture sector of the country,''he added.

Keeping this in view, the Planning Commission is working out a strategy in association with Union Ministry of Agriculture as per which the average agriculture growth of the country is aimed to be doubled in the next five years, said Dr Ahluwalia. Also, he said that the Planning Commission will discuss the report, that has been submitted by a committee of experts, on October 18 before sending the paper before the National Development Committee (NDC).

Talking about the scenario prevailing in the health sector of the country, Dr Ahluwalia said that we have neglected the health sector particularly the public health sector. Also, he emphasised the need for giving proper attention to the education sector of the country.

His remarks comes after the statement given by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, in New Delhi yesterday in which he had called for a policy regime to facilitate more investment by the public and private sector in education.

On the development of infrastructure of the country, he informed that the Planning Commission is organising a conference on a big scale in New delhi in October next year with a theme ''infrastructure of the country'' which would be addressed by the Prime Minister along with other dignitaries.

Replying to a media query on the ongoing debate over SEZ, Dr Ahluwalia said, "What I had said that like any other infrastructure firm, SEZ should be treated as construction and real estate firm".

He stressed,''Normally I go by RBI on these issues. It is to be noted that RBI has already made it clear that there was no need to give concessional finance to SEZ projects.'' However he added that the issue of financing SEZ was to be tackled by the regulator.

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