PM's growth plan for all in minor-ity row

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday made the clearest indication yet that the UPA has an eye on elections when he emphasized that economic growth must help the rural poor, minorities and marginal groups.

“High growth has not made as much of an impact on poverty reduction as we would have liked. Poverty is coming down, but not fast enough. Too many of our people lack access to basic services especially education, health, housing and clean drinking water. Child malnutrition afflicts millions of children and is a matter of national shame,” he said at a meeting of the National Development Council (NDC), which met on Wednesday to discuss the 11th Five Year Plan.

“To deal with these problems we need a growth process that will achieve a rapid reduction in poverty, accelerate the pace of both industrialization and employment generation, reduce the urban-rural divide and bring measurable benefits to SCs, STs, minorities and other excluded groups,” he said.

Singh said the 11th Five Year Plan would help minorities, SCs and STs, as "it has specific, focused programmes, both for skill development and education and also for improving the basic infrastructure in areas inhabitated predominantly by them."

Singh said high savings and investment rates can raise India's growth to over 10 percent with right policies though some global developments may impact capital flows.

"It is possible that with correct set of policies and dedicated effort by both the central and state governments, we will not only maintain this momentum of high growth but may be able to raise it to 10 percent."

Modi calls plan ‘communal budgeting’

The BJP ruled-states rejected the 11th plan document proposal, alleging that it had the PM’s 15-point programme for minorities.

"The new 15-point programme that focuses on earmarking certain outlays of various developmental schemes and programmes of the Government of India amongst the eligible beneficiaries, based on their minority status, should be reviewed in the interest of maintaining the social fabric of the nation," said Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said at the NDC meeting.

"Such discrimination, amongst the eligible beneficiaries, for flow of funds based on minority status, will not help the cause if taking the people of India together on the path of development," Modi said.

Funds allocation should be based on the principle of equity and socio-economic criteria alone, he said.