Union Minister of State for Planning M V Rajashekharan said that the National Development Council would hold a meeting by December end to ratify the 11th Five Year Plan.
Mr Rajashekhar, who was in the city to participate in a private function, told reporters that the chief ministers of all the states of the country would take part in the Development Council meeting which would be presided over by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.A package of Rs 25,000 crore would be a part of the 11th Five Year Plan and the amount would be released in five equal installment of Rs 5,000 crore a year, he said adding that emphasis was laid on agriculture.
A 15-point programme was formulated for the welfare of minority communities and the funds would be utilised for education, health and poverty alleviation and review meetings would be held once in three months, the union minister of state said. Maintaining that possibilities of snap polls could not be ruled out in Karnataka although the BJP-led coalition came to power in the State, he said that Congress workers would have to be ready for elections at any time.
He said that the Centre would extend full cooperation to the BJP-JD(S) government which should make sincere efforts to materialise the programmes of the union government.
Dominance of regional parties in politics would come in the way of progress, he said observing that only national parties could ensure political stability and development of the country.
Mr Rajashekharan warned that the Congress party would not be a mute spectator if the BJP-JD(S) government tried to fan communal tension and stir up peace and expressed apprehension  that the “unholy” ruling coalition in the State might not last for the remaining 19 months of the current assembly.