12th Plan focuses on inclusive growth: Montek

Says states will have to act to achieve inclusive growth

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia today said the 12th Five Year Plan lays emphasis not merely on economic development but on inclusive growth to bring more poor and marginal people under its ambit.

"Name of the game is growth rate that is inclusive, regionally balanced, which enables every state to do better than in the past, which narrows the gap between different communities, which also brings in our concern for gender equality, upliftment of women, improving their educational condition and social status," he said.

Ahluwalia said "the 12th plan will start a very large agenda of change".

Ahluwalia said the government has to make sure that the young generation was educated and equipped with both the educational and skill weapons in order to deal with th erapidly changing and increasingly globalising world, which was a huge challenge.

The Deputy chairman said in order to achieve inclusive growth during the 12th plan, a very large part requires policies and implementation, which was the responsibility of the state governments. He added that states which were earlier thought to be somewhat backward were doing much better.

Ahluwalia said UP was aiming at a growth rate of 8.5%, which was possible "if everything which necessarily needs to be done was done".

"We have just finished presentation of 12th plan to the National Development Council, which is projecting a growth rate of about 8%," he said.

"Right now the growth looks low. India is growing as per the latest estimates at 5% or little bit more than that. This has been a very difficult, bad year for the whole world. Europe is showing zero per cent growth," he added.

Ahluwalia said people were very concerned about slowdown, because lower growth means less jobs.

"In our view for the next five years, I think we can expect an average of about 8% growth," he added.