Floor On Public Units Return Mooted
The Commission has also said that it will be reluctant to approve new schemes or allow the continuence of old schemes unless they are financially sustainable over long periods and implemented effectively besides being in consonance with the objectives of the plan.
The Commission has tentatively projected a 35 per cent growth in the ninth plan over the estimated expenditure in the eight plan at 1996-97 prices. In terms of outlay, the growth in the ninth plan will be 21.04 per cent over the eight plan outlay at current prices.
Calculated at 1996-97 prices, the growth in the eight plan outlay was 29.30 per cent over the seventh plan outlay. The Commission has tentatively projected Rs 800,000 crores as the outlay for the ninth plan.
Pointing out that inadequate maintainance expenditure was eroding the capacities of utilities like electricity boards, road transport corporations and irrigation department, the Commission has advised revision and better recovery of user charges.
Subsidies need to be clearly targetted at the poor instead of fittering them away for supporting PSUs which often results in it being appropriated by the well-off sections of society, the Commission has said.
Asked about the political difficulties involved in curbing new schemes, the Commission deputy chairman Madhu Dandavate said, It is politically more sensible to complete on-going schemes. The scenario has changed a great deal.
A politician is known and respected by what he does and not by what he promises. I am sure the chief ministers understand the value of completing schemes instead of announcing new ones