Chairing the meeting of the full Planning Commission for mid-term appraisal of the Eleventh Plan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pointed out that the exercise not only presents a report card of the government's achievements but also “gives us an idea of how far we have been able to meet our stated objective of faster and more inclusive growth”.
The mid-term appraisal (MTA), Dr. Singh said, has brought out deficiencies in the implementation of schemes, and these need to be removed. “Our focus must shift from making demand for more resources to expand schemes to undertaking serious review of their effectiveness in improving the implementation on the ground,” he said.
Dwelling on the broad picture of the economy while entrusting the task of highlighting some of the challenges emerging from the appraisal to his deputy in the Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Dr. Singh said: “Our concern for inclusiveness in the Eleventh Plan period is reflected in the fact that in addition to the 9% growth target, the Plan lists 26 other monitorable targets highlighting inclusive concerns. These include targets for agricultural growth, poverty reduction, employments generation, school enrolment, reduction in the gender gap, reduction in IMR [Infant Mortality Rate] and MMR [Maternal Mortality Rate], and access to clean drinking water”.
Although all the data required to measure progress in these areas is not available, the appraisal document presented a reasonable assessment of the overall position in these areas, he said.
Dr. Singh noted that despite the severe drought in 2009 on the back of the global financial crisis, the government was hopeful of a farm sector turnaround with a normal monsoon during 2010.
The Hindu
