5.24 ndian onom
Basic Minimum Services (BMS) with additional points out a change in the planning policy mindset
Central Assistance for these services with a view to of the government, major ones being:84
obtaining complete coverage of the population in (i) Doubling per capita income in 10 years;
a time-bound manner. The BMS82 included:
(ii) Accepting that the higher growth rates
(i) Safe drinking water; are not the only objective—it should be
(ii) Primary health service; translated into improving the quality of
(iii) Universalisation of primary education; life of the people;
(iv) Public housing assistance to the shelter- (iii) For the first time the Plan went to set
less poor families; the ‘monitorable tragets’ for eleven select
(v) Nutritional support to children; indicators of development for the Centre
(vi) Connectivity of all villages and as well as for the states;
habitations; and (iv) ‘Governance’ was considered a factor of
(vii) Streamlining of the public distribution development;
system. (v) States’ role in planning to be increased
The issue of fiscal consolidation became a with the greater involvement of the PRIs;
top priority of the governments for the first time, (vi) Policy and institutional reforms in each
which had its focus on the following83 related sector, i.e., reforms in the PSUs, legal
issues: reforms, administrative reforms, labour
(i) Sharp reduction in the revenue deficit of reforms, etc;
the government, including centre, states
(vii) Agriculture sector declared as the prime
and the PSUs through a combination of
moving force (PMF) of the economy;
improved revenue collections and control
of in-essential expenditures; (viii) Increased emphasis on the social sector
(i.e., education, health, etc.);
(ii) Cutting down subsidies, collection of
user charges on economic services (i.e., (ix) Relevance between the processes
electricity, transportation, etc.), cutting of economic reforms and planning
down interest, wages, pension, PF, etc; emphasised; etc.
(iii) Decentralisation of planning and The Mid-term Appraisal of the Plan was
implementation through greater reliance approved by the NDC in June 2005. The
on states and the PRIs. assessment gives a mixed picture regarding its
performance. As per the appraisal, the country
Tenth Plan performed well in many areas and these gains
The Plan (2002–07) commenced with the needed to be consolidated, but there were some
objectives of greater participation of the NDC in important weaknesses also, which, if not corrected,
their formulation. Some highly important steps can undermine even the current performance
were taken during the plan, which undoubtedly level.85
82. Publications Division, India 2007, pp. 682–83. 84. Planning Commission, Tenth Five year Plan (2002–07),
83. Ministry of Finance, Economic Survey (1998–200) (New Delhi: Government of India).
(New Delhi: Government of India, Various Years); 85. Planning Commission, Mid-Term Appraisal of the Tenth
Publications Division, India 2007, p. 683. Plan (New Delhi: Government of India).