News: 'Growth is important, but not everything'

(PTI 18/07/2006) New Delhi - The Planning Commission will fix the final growth rate target after consultations with state governments, Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said here today.

Singh, who was here to attend a meeting on the draft approach paper on the 11th Five-Year Plan, said there had been criticism in the past that the commission laid more focus on growth. “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 difficult for them to prescribe lower growth, he said.

He said the targets were doubling up agriculture growth and removing hurdles that were causing rural distress.

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

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

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

Ahluwalia said the paper aimed at faster and inclusive growth during the 11th Plan period.

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

Ahluwalia said areas targeted were doubling agricultural growth, which according to him, was crucial.

He said the manufacturing sector was poised to register a double-digit growth. 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 West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who was present during the consultation, said the approach paper did not mention land reforms, agricultural distress and collapse of the PDS system.

Sen said the most significant comment 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.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and Jharkhand Finance minister Raghubar Das were also present in the meeting. PTI dc SUN