Left may force govt to discuss Plan paper in Parliament
In yet another instance of the government giving in to Left pressure, the approach paper for the 11th Five-Year Plan (FYP) is likely to come up for discussion in Parliament this week itself.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: In yet another instance of the government giving in to Left pressure, the approach paper for the 11th Five-Year Plan (FYP) is likely to come up for discussion in Parliament this week itself. The document gives direction to the next FYP.
The CPM, which had sought a discussion on the approach paper during the last session of Parliament, had told the government that the issue should be taken up before the meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) on December 9 as there would be no point in debating it after the NDC’s endorsement.
Though Five-Year Plans have come up for discussion in Parliament, this will be the first time that an approach paper is going to be debated in the House. The Left, which has already made noises about the proposals in the approach paper, wants the Plan panel to “reorient” its planning to focus on social sector.
General secretaries of the CPM and the CPI —Prakash Karat and AB Bardhan — had recently written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking an increase in fund allocation in the 11th FYP to fulfil Common Minimum Programme promises.
The issues that have got maximum backing from the Left leaders are higher public investment in agriculture, 6% GDP spend on education, 2-3% of GDP on health, social security for workers in the unorganised sector, universalisation of ICDC, legal guarantee for minimum employment and strengthening the PDS.
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The Planning Commission has proposed an increase in the gross budgetary support by just 2.5%. The government has promised 6% of GDP on education and 2-3% on healthcare. The Left has said, citing a rough estimate, that GBS for the 11th Plan should be increased by at least 4.75% of GDP to meet the CMP commitments. Though most of the Left’s alternative resource mobilisation proposals have found no favour with the government, the Left parties are likely to take them up again for discussion. With the Sachar Committee report tabled in Parliament, the CPM will also raise its demand for a sub-plan for minorities.
The CPM had sent a detailed note to the PM and deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, opposing proposals like capital account convertibility and increased role for foreign financial institutions.
The party also wanted the FRBM Act scrapped and expressed its concern over the Plan panel’s silence on issues like food security, strengthening of price support system, creation of price stabilisation fund for agricultural commodities, universalising crop insurance and protection to peasantry from subsidised imports and price volatility.
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