Give freedom to states for formulating development plans- Dr. Raman Singh

National Development Council meeting takes up Chhattisgarh-related topics

    Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh today demanded that “region and state specific special plans befitting regional potential and needs should be formulated” instead of Centrally Sponsored Schemes and states should be given flexibility and freedom to formulate plan schemes.
    “The practice of formulating and implementing uniform Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes through out the country should be changed and region and state specific special plans befitting regional potential and needs should be formulated,” Singh said in his written speech, which was read by Chhattisgarh’s Commercial Tax and Health Minister Amar Agrawal at the 56th meeting of the National development Council in New Delhi. The meeting was presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
    The chief minister said that the state has inherited economic backwardness. Despite of achieving 9 per cent growth rate in 10th and 11th Five Year Plan, the state continues to be lagging behind the national level in terms of infrastructure, elementary education and health sector. Over 60 per cent area of the state is Schedule Five Area, 56 per cent area is forest land and population of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes is 44 per cent, he said.
                He emphasized on giving additional financial assistance to backward states like Chhattisgarh and suggested that for the purpose such states should be given a large portion of income incurred from minerals. He also suggested that states which maintain forests in excess of the national target from their own financial resources should be compensated by the centre as a matter of policy and thermal power exporting states should get at least 10 percent free power or else should be authorized to levy at least 4 percent duty on generation of power to compensate them for the resources like land and water and adverse impact on environment.
    In the meeting the state gave some sector specific suggestions on the “Approach Paper” of the 12th Five Year Plan. Under the agriculture sector, it was demanded that National Horticulture Mission should be extended to all the districts of Chhattisgarh, he said and suggested that every district should have an agriculture university with a focus on Agriculture Research and “tribal agriculture research”.
    The chief minister said that micro-minor irrigation systems should be expanded by continuing AIBP with flexible and practical norms. Reconstruction of abandoned old irrigation schemes and lifting irrigation by constructing anicuts across rivers and nallahs and lining of earthen canals should be permissible in AIBP.
    In the field of tribal development, he suggested that states should be permitted to set up residential schools under the SSA, development block instead of district should be the unit in the ‘Integrated Action Plan’, put in place for the Left Wing Extremism affected areas and a central scheme for Minimum Support Price for all Minor Forest Produce similar to agricultural crops should be started soon.
    In the field of education, he suggested that in SSA financial sharing of the cost should be revised to 75:25, IIT should be established in all states and school education curriculum should be modified so as to ensure skill development and vocational education necessary for jobs and self employment. On infrastructure development, he said PPP model was not viable for rail and road development in states like Chhattisgarh. Higher allocation should be provided in the 12th Five Year Plan for providing basic civic services and creation of basic infrastructure in the small and medium towns, he added.
    On health sector, he suggested that health insurance scheme should be extended to all the deprived groups and mobile medical services should be promoted in Left Wing Extremism affected areas under a central scheme.
    On rural development, he suggested that focus should be given to local value addition of agro products and minor forest produce and convergence of several schemes implemented for self employment in the rural areas by different administrative ministries.
    State Planning Commission Vice President Shivraj Singh, Chief Secretary P Joy Oommen and Finance and Planning Principal Secretary Ajay Singh were also present in the meeting.