lannin in ndia         5.21
        (iii) In 1980, there was again a change of                  programme (the TPP) was tested and tried by the
               government at the Centre with the return             same government in the Fifth Plan which tried to
               of the Congress which abandoned the                  improve the standard of living of the poor masses
               Sixth Plan of the Janata Government in               with the ‘direct approach’ (the idea of poverty
               the year 1980 itself.                                alleviation, but such a slogan of ‘Garibi Hatao’
         (iv) The new government launched a fresh                   was not given to the programme).
               new Sixth Plan for the period 1980–85.                     Some of the major issues addressed by
               But by that time, two financial years of             the Plan were—emphasis on socio-economic
               the Janata Government’s Sixth Plan had               infrastructure in rural areas; eliminating rural
               already been completed. These two years
                                                                    poverty and reducing regional disparities through
               of the Plan were adjusted by the Congress
               Government in a highly interesting way:              the IRDP (1979); ‘target group’73 approach
                                                                    initiated; a number of national level programmes
               (a) The first year, i.e., 1978–79 was added
                                                                    and schemes were launched during the plan,
                    to the fifth plan which was cut-short
                    by the Janata Government to four                which tried to attend to the specific areas and the
                    years. And thus the Fifth Plan officially       specific concerns of socio-economic development
                    became of 5 years again (1974–79).              (this is the ‘target group’ approach):74
               (b) Now what to do with the second                         (i) National Rural Employment Programme
                    year, i.e., 1979–80. The Congress                           (NREP)—1980
                    Government announced this year                       (ii) Restructured Twenty-Point Programme–
                    to be a year of one Annual Plan.                            1982
                    This Annual Plan (1979–80) may
                                                                        (iii) Biogas Programme—1982
                    be considered the lone independent
                    remnant of the ‘Rolling Plan’ of the                (iv) Development of Women and Children
                    Janata Government.                                          in Rural Areas (DWERA)—1983
           The Sixth Plan (1978–83) which could not                      (v) Rural Landless Employment Guarantee
     become an official plan of India had emphasis on                           Programme (RLEGP)—1983
     some of the highly new economic ideas and ideals                   (vi) Self-Employment                to       Educated
     with almost a complete no to foreign investment;                           Unemployed            Youth       Programme
     new thrust on price control; rejuvenation of the                           (SEEUP)—1983
     Public Distribution System (PDS); emphasis on
                                                                       (vii) Dairy           Development          Programme
     small-scale and cottage industries; new lease of life
     to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) (i.e., the 2nd                       (DDP)—1983
     Phase of the revival of the PRIs); agriculture and               (viii) Village and Small Industries Development
     the subject of rural development getting the due;                          Programme (VSIDP)—1983
     etc., being the major ones.                                        (ix) Tribal Development Agency (TDA)—
                                                                                1983
     Sixth Plan
                                                                         (x) Village and Small Industries Development
     This Plan (1980–85) was launched with the slogan                           Programme (VSIDP)—1983
     of ‘Garibi Hatao’ (alleviate poverty).72 Already, a
                                                                      73.    ‘Target group’ approach of planning is selecting the
       72.   Some experts see this Plan as a symbol of the planning          group of people where a particular problem is and
             being converted to a complete politics—with utter               attac ing the pro lem directly. he      was the first
             populism entering into the planning process of India.           such programme in India.
             The circle of the politicisation of planning gets        74.    Publications Division, India 1980–1983 (New Delhi:
             completed with this Plan.                                       Government of India).