Patna, Oct 24 (ANI): Commenting on the country's economic growth plan, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that a board consensus has been reached on maintaining a nine percent growth rate during the Twelfth Five-Year Plan period (2012-2017).
Talking to reporters here after attending the 56th National Development Council (NDC) meeting in New Delhi, Kumar said: "There was an NDC meeting to discuss and approve the vision and approach of the 12th Five Year Plan that is being framed presently. There is a broad consensus that we should keep a target of nine percent growth rate in the five-year plan. Besides this we also discussed the vision of what needs to be done in the five year plan."
"We feel that the country has a central structure and states need to undertake more development and be allocated resources. There is growing tendency that the government decides what and how schemes have to be implemented while putting the entire financial burden on the states," he added.
Kumar said state governments must be granted a greater role and more funds for development activities.
"The state governments used to get a major chunk from the federal budget. However, this share has been gradually reducing over the years. We have opposed this. The number of federal schemes should be reduced and the states should be given a free hand. Moreover, the states should be allowed to function flexibly as per their own needs and requirements," said Kumar.
The NDC meeting was attended by chief ministers of several states and was called upon to approve the approach paper to India's 12th Five-Year Plan.
The approach paper provides an overall policy framework to be followed during the five-year period to achieve the intended growth rate.
It was approved by the Planning Commission on August 20 and later by the Union Cabinet on September 15. (ANI)
|
|
Read More: Delhi
Comments:
