11th five year plan aims at poverty eradication: Mithi

Puducherry, Dec 27 (UNI) Puducherry Lt Governor Mukut Mithi today stressed that the main focus of the 11th five year plan in the Union Territory would be to create more employment opportunities and eradicate poverty.

Inaugurating the second state planning board meeting here, Mr Mithi said steps would be taken to prepare a human development index for Puducherry.

Stating the importance of Public-Private Partnership (PPP), he said the administration had been allocating major infrastructure projects under PPP scheme.

He said as per the suggestions from board members, the draft plan would seek necessary impetus to tourism projects to make Puducherry, one of the most sought after tourist destinations in South India.

He also stressed the need to improve the sewerage system, solid waste management and improvement of air, road and rail connectivity, ''if Puducherry wanted to become a ''mini Hong Kong or mini-Singapore''.

He said the planning process, which was now department centric had to give way for a planning process that emerges from grass root level.

The administration would also create IT parks here with sufficent infrastructure facilites.

Mr Mithi said the farmers of Karaikal region should be given sufficient training on alternate cropping and precision farming.

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