THE STATE Government proposes to bring down poverty rate by 50 per cent during the 11th Plan for 2007-2012.
If a recent report of the World Bank were to be believed, the poverty rate in rural areas of UP has already come down from 42.3 per cent to 28.5 pc. But in urban areas, it has declined from 35.1 to 32.3 pc only.
Talking to HT about the government’s plan to reduce poverty, principal secretary (planning) V Venkatachalam said, “About 4.9 crore people are living below poverty line in the State.”
Thus, the State Government proposed to bring down the poverty rate by 50 per cent during the 11th Plan, he added. The government also proposed to set a growth rate target of 8.5 per cent or even more. UP was able to achieve a growth rate of 2.0 per cent during the 9th Plan against 3.2 per cent during the 8th Plan, he said.
If performance of the first four years of the 10th Plan gave any indication, the State would not be able to achieve 5.4 per cent growth rate against the target of 8 per cent during the 10th Plan.
A break-up of four years would reveal that the State Government’s performance was dismal during 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. During this period, the State witnessed a growth rate of merely 4.6 per cent and 4.8 per cent. The growth during 2002-2003 and 2005-2006 was 6.2 per cent.
{{/usCountry}}A break-up of four years would reveal that the State Government’s performance was dismal during 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. During this period, the State witnessed a growth rate of merely 4.6 per cent and 4.8 per cent. The growth during 2002-2003 and 2005-2006 was 6.2 per cent.
{{/usCountry}}A growth rate target of 8.5 per cent for the 11th Plan might be achievable, said Venkatachalam hoping that the average growth rate during the 10th Plan period would shoot up once the figures of current fiscal were out.
There were indications that the Centre might set the 8.5 per cent growth rate target for the 11th Plan. Thus, the State Government would also set a matching target, he said. He added that a high- level steering committee chaired by chief secretary Naveen Chandra Bajpai was set up to give a final shape to the schemes to be incorporated in the draft plan.
The State Government also proposed to lay emphasis on an increased public-private sector partnership during the 11th Plan.
So the Government has chosen PICUP as the nodal agency to identify the projects that could be undertaken as part of the public-private sector partnership.