The Hindu : Business : Roadmap for 3 key infrastructure areas next month

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 14, 2004

Business

Business

Roadmap for 3 key infrastructure areas next month

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, DEC. 13. The Planning Commission would ready by mid-January roadmap for the development of three key infrastructure areas — railways, ports and electrical power — Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, said.

Addressing a business seminar here, he said: "Within three weeks we will go to the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure outlining the critical areas where action was necessary within this Plan-period." The seminar was organised by the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation in association with the Consular Corps of Kolkata.

Admitting that lack of infrastructure was limiting India's productivity he said that without the growth of this sector, overall economic growth would not exceed 6 per cent.

He said the Centre admitted to this deficit and efforts were now on to ready policies, which were aimed at expansion of the resources in the public sector while harnessing private initiative. "At one end of the spectrum would be the completion of infrastructure components through investments and at the other, there would be development through private sector or joint initiatives."

Airport development

In addition to the announcements made on Friday on airports, he said that advisors had been appointed to prepare the concession document on modernisation of airports through private investment. "Around January, the Civil Aviation Ministry will bring the civil aviation policy before the Cabinet Committee — the policy will pave the way for appointment of a regulator for the sector."

Key sectors

According to Dr. Ahluwalia, social, agriculture and infrastructure were the three key sectors, which will have to grow fast if the target was to be achieved by 2007. The Centre was planning to launch a national rural health mission, even as it took steps to transfer funds to the State for universalisation of primary education.

The Union External Affairs Minister, K. Natwar Singh, said that economic diplomacy would be the only diplomacy of the 21st Century.

He said that his ministry was considering the opening of offices in some of the state capitals.

Misconception

The West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, said that there were misconceptions about his government and its policies, although the government was trying its best to "correct its past mistakes." "We sincerely want the private sector and foreign investment to play a role in the state's development in certain sectors," he said.

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