NEW DELHI: The job crisis may be the most visible distress sign in India’s growth story and that is one of the reasons the government has decided to loosen restrictions on funding of development schemes beyond the 12th five-year plan and has streamlined procedures to ensure the continuation of ongoing public-funded flagship programmes.
The 12th five-year plan 2012-17 had aimed at a growth rate of 8 per cent with faster, inclusive and sustainable developments across sectors.
A letter from the Department of Expenditure in the Ministry of Finance reviewed by the New Indian Express shows that instructions have been issued to the ministries to get the approval of the competent authority by October 31, 2017.
The letter has been marked to the Prime Minister Office and the Cabinet Secretariat. The letter said most ministries are in an advanced stage of concluding the approval process of their schemes and many have already obtained the approval of the competent authority.
“For schemes where the Expenditure Finance Committees (EFCs) has already been held and the total project outlay is Rs 1,000 crore or less, further interim extension of one month time up to October 31, 2017, is granted for completion of the approval of the competent authority. For schemes where the EFCs have been held and the budgetary outlay involved is more than Rs 1,000 crore, further interim extension of two months is granted up to November 30, 2017, to obtain the approval of the competent authority,” the letter said.
The schemes which have financial implications of more than Rs 500 crore have been given extension up to December 31, 2017, to complete the appraisal and approval process.
Namami Gange was a new initiative during the 12th five-year plan. It was launched in 2014-15 at an estimated cost of Rs 21,272 crore. Ministries have been also told to customise the programmes to meet the goals envisaged at the UN Conference held in June 2012 on sustainable development at Rio in Brazil that came out with a blueprint in July 2014.
This includes end of poverty in all forms everywhere, ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
A government document on the appraisal of the 12th five-year plan said: “It is required to put in place a mechanism to monitor progress with respect to each goal, and related targets accepted. The indicators being evolved to achieve these goals and targets at the national and state levels need to be firmed up expeditiously.”
The government has also recently prepared a draft Cabinet note regarding the National Monitoring Framework on sustainable development. It seeks to address not only the root cause of poverty but also the universal need for development to provide a life of dignity to all. A note reviewed by this newspaper suggests constitution of a High-Level Steering Committee to periodically examine development goals for refinement and to also include alternate indicators as and when required.
“The success in the implementation of national policies for the attainment of sustainable development goals not only requires better-coordinated efforts of all the stakeholders but also a robust monitoring mechanism. This would also require that the policy formulators and statistical establishment work in close coordination,” the draft cabinet note said.
Four ministries — Agriculture, Water, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Urban Development — have been tasked to ensure all men and women, in particular, the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and access to financial services.
According to the Cabinet note, the Ministry of Skill Development and Human Resources would handle relevant skills, including technical and vocational, for jobs and entrepreneurship.