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K C Pant swears by subsidies, gives national security an economic dimension

Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission K C Pant today said that there was need to protect the poor as far as subsidies are concerned and said there was need for a national consensus on the level of subsidy.

Talking to newsmen after assuming charge, Pant said in a democracy consensus was essential.

The former defence minister clarified that his remarks were of a preliminary nature. He has not yet seen the Ninth Plan document which is to go before the National Development Council for its approval on February 19. The Ninth Plan would be on the Internet by next week and will be sent to the state governments.

Pant was flanked by new members of the Planning Commission -- Dr S P Gupta and D N Tiwari as also those associated with it earlier -- Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Prof S R Hashim, who was earlier member-secretary but has now been made a member.

Pant said security was a holistic concept and there was need to integrate it with economic dimensions, which include trade, technology and agriculture.

To a question about the viable growth rate for the Ninth Plan, Pant replied that 6.5 per cent has been envisaged for the entire period. This would require a seven per cent growth rate for the remaining three years of the plan.

Asked whether the fact that the economy was in doldrums would make his job very difficult, he said it would be his endeavour to improve things and work within the given parametres.

Pant said planning was a process aimed at achieving certain goals in the future which will decide where the country will be in the 21st century. The more ambitious the goal the harder the effort that is required. The country has to decide how ambitious the targets have to be, he said.

Stressing the need for closer interaction between the states and the commission, he said there is need on the part of the two to identify the skills and resources to achieve these goals.

He said the southeast Asian meltdown had affected various parts. To some extent India has escaped direct fallout of the sharp slowdown but it had been affected by way of exports and imports.

Pant said in this situation, with three years of the plan remaining, it will require a massive effort to ensure that the economy can reach the level of economic growth which is necessary.

Pant was asked about his predecessor Jaswant Singh's assurance of a greater consultation on Budget-making and as to whether he would give his views the Budget. Pant replied that the Budget was only a few weeks away and he was bound to run into Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha sometime or the other. ''There is a lot of interaction within the government you know,'' he said.

Asked about the moves afoot to restructure the Planning Commission, Pant said various suggestions have been made from time to time on these issues. As he had not got an opportunity to study the problem properly, it was too premature for him to comment.

Pant stressed the need for closer coordination on aspects of economic diplomacy and planning and said security no longer was a military issue alone. This was particularly so as India has become a nuclear weapons state and therefore it was all the more important that the country be able to achieve economic security.

He said self-sufficiency is not a goal. What is required is self-reliance.

UNI

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