MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING (SHRI M.V. RAJASEKHARAN)
(a) & (b): As per the Mid-Term Appraisal of the Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-2007),
the growth rate during the Tenth Plan ending 2007 is expected to be 7%. The
measures for raising the growth rate in the last two years of the Tenth Plan are given
in the Mid-Term Appraisal document that has been placed in the Parliament Library.
(c) & (d): An appraisal of the objective of policy measure undertaken and institutional
changes envisaged in the Tenth Plan was undertaken in the Mid-Term Appraisal of
the Tenth Five Year Plan, which is available in the Parliament Library.
(e): Government has announced various programmes to encourage public investment
in rural infrastructure and social sector. These include Bharat Nirman, a programme
conceived as a business plan to be implemented over a period of four years, for
building rural infrastructure. It has six components, i.e. irrigation, roads, water
supply, rural electrification, housing and rural telecom connectivity. The Sampoorna
Grameen Rozgar Yojana implemented by Panchayati Raj Institutions seeks to create
durable community assets in rural areas. The National Food for Work Programme
implemented in 150 backward districts also creates rural infrastructure. For Health,
the National Rural Health Mission was launched in April 2005 for a seven year period
upto 2012. The Mission has identified 18 States for Special attention that have weak
public health indicators and / or weak health infrastructure. For education, the scheme
of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is the principal programme for achieving the goals of
universalisation of elementary education through a time-bound integrated approach in
partnership with the States.
