Goa okays draft on five-year plan

The state planning board, of Goa which met at the secretariat on Monday approved the draft approach paper on Eleventh Five-Year Plan and discussed action plan to raise the state's growth rate further.

Goa Chief Minister, Pratapsingh Rane, who chaired the meeting said that the state has been able to achieve more than 10 per cent growth rate, which was higher than the rest of the country, in real terms and that the board discussed ways and means to raise it further.

Rane further said that a paper presented by the Mumbai-based Nanseer Monjee Institute was discussed at the meeting.

The paper has suggested strategic planning and certain structural changes for maintaining the growth rate and raises it further.

A paper presented by VA Pai Panandikar regarding promotion of knowledge economy was also discussed at the board meeting, said the chief minister said.

The state planning board also discussed public-private partnership, which is likely to help the state government to tide over the fund constraints, which will also help it in maintaining the growth rate and push it high further.

The chief minister also said that a presentation by a Hyderabad-based firm was made on satellite imaging for planning.

The applications of remote sensing and information system could be used for planned economic development, he added.