Paving the way for formulating the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17) document, the National Development Council (NDC) meeting, which saw states lambasting the Centre for its various failures and the Prime Minister asking them to shun negativism, on Saturday approved the approach paper to the Plan that pegs economic growth target at an average annual rate of nine per cent.
“NDC has approved the approach paper with a consensus on broad objectives mentioned in the approach paper,” Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia told reporters after the meeting.
The approach paper might have been cleared with a consensus on broad issues, but unanimity seemed to be eluding the Centre and the states on many fronts. States accused the Centre of mismanaging the price situation, disturbing the federal structure, not taking enough steps to control corruption and coming out with poverty line that ignores the plight of the man on the street.
| MACRO FACTORS Broad targets in approach paper to 12th Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17) : |
| ECONOMY: 9% average annual growth |
| AGRICULTURE: 4% average annual growth |
| INDUSTRY: 9.6% average annual growth |
| SERVICES: 10% average annual growth |
| INVESTMENT RATE: 38.7% of GDP (up from estimated 36.4% in 11th Plan) |
| SAVINGS RATE: 36.2% of GDP (up from estimated 34% in 11th Plan) |
| WPI: Average 4.5-5% (down from 6% expected in 11th Plan) |
| FISCAL DEFICIT: 3.25% of GDP (average annual) |
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on the other hand, sought cooperation of states and all political parties to end the environment of negativism and put India on the sustained path of high economic growth.
He said many chief ministers’ CSSs were not flexible enough to accommodate the specific issues facing the states. “I am sympathetic to this concern. These issues have been examined by the B K Chaturvedi Committee. We will deliberate on the recommendations and incorporate the outcome of our deliberations in the 12th Plan.”
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Congress has announced candidates for 135 of the total 403 seats in UP.
Elaborating on the advertising strategy, a Congress insider said the electoral campaign of the Congress in the state intended to target Mayawati as its sole adversary. Therefore, it will be focusing on the bad governance of the BSP regime for the past five years and the poor economic development of the state which has created no jobs for the youth. At the same time, it will highlight how private companies have been wooed while farmers have been deprived of their rights.
The state has managed a growth rate of only 6.6 per cent against a promised 10 per cent. Almost nil job opportunities have been created for the youth as industrial units are either shutting down or suffering.
The thought process behind focusing the campaign on highlighting the poor economic development of the state is that the youth in UP are disgusted with lawlessness and the rampant corruption in the state, according to Congress sources.
What seems to be clinching the argument for such a campaign is the fact that of the 108 million voters in UP, more than half belongs to the age group of 18- 35 years. Moreover, 18 per cent are voting for the first time, according to the strategy paper of the party.
Speaking to Business Standard, Shriprakash Jaiswal, Minister of Coal and Mines, who is also the election campaign committee chairman for the UP polls said, "Rahul Gandhi will be the centre of our election campaign. He will be travelling across the state, spending more time than what he does at present. He will be going on 'jan sampark yatras', holding meetings in across the state. The fact that his and his mother Sonia Gandhi's constituencies are also in the state, is the reason behind his greater affection for UP."