PM clears draft 9th Plan

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, DEC 24: The Prime Minister has cleared the draft of the Ninth Plan and it is likely to be placed for cabinet's approval soon, an official release said here today. The finalisation of the draft was delayed as the Planning Commission had to incorporate emphasis on Prime Minister's five point action programme on agriculture, rural development, IT, social infrastructure and water policy.

Special action plans on these thrust areas were finalised recently and also states' approval was sought. The draft Ninth Plan has a time-bound action plan of doubling the food production and making India hunger free in 10 years. In view of dismal performance in first two years of the Ninth Plan (1997-2002), the commission was forced to revise the projected GDP growth rate downward to 6.5 per cent for the ninth plan period from earlier target of 7.5%. For achieving an average annual growth rate of 6.5%, the commission has envisaged an over 7% GDP growth rate in the remaining three years of the plan period.

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