To give impetus to agricultural growth, the NDC also endorsed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s suggestion to constitute a task force in the Planning Commission to comprehensively examine the resource requirements for expanding irrigation and identifying a new approach to implementing irrigation projects.

Prime Minister Dr Singh, while calling upon states to “build a prosperous, humane, just and equitable India” through planning process, announced that the Finance Minister in consultation with the Agriculture Minister is finalising a scheme for addressing the farmers’ debt burden.

The Prime Minister said many infrastructure projects were getting delayed as a result of “cumbersome” clearance procedures and added, “this is a problem which is common to state and central agencies aw well as to industry”.

In an apparent snub to BJP’s objection to fund allocation for minorities the Prime Minister asserted, “the Plan does not attempt to divide people on the basis of caste, creed or gender.”

“However, it is a reality that there are certain social groups who are relatively badly placed on all developmental indicators. The Plan does pay special attention to the needs of these marginalized groups and targets them in a precise manner,” he said in his concluding remarks.

Modi opposes

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi opposed any move by the government to reserve 15 per cent of budgetary allocation under the five-year plan for minorities. 

Attending the National Development Council (NDC)  meeting here, Mr Modi stressed that the utilisation of funds should be based on the socio-economic status of the populace.

“We are committed to the socio-economic development of the 5.5 crore people of Gujarat, as provided in the Constitution of India,” he said, criticising the programme for earmarking outlays of developmental schemes for minorities.