NEW DELHI: The Centre will restructure the 20-point programme, a hallmark of the Indira Gandhi regime. The proposal was vetted by a Committee of Secretaries and was discussed in the Union Cabinet about a month ago. The Cabinet formed a Group of Ministers to go into the proposal.

At a meeting here of the Group of Ministers, chaired by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and attended by almost all Union Ministers on Tuesday, it was decided to bring the 20-point programme in line with the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) of the United Progressive Alliance Government. The focus would be on alleviation of poverty and improving the life of the poor with particular reference to economic reforms, liberalisation and globalisation of the economy.

A note prepared by the Ministry of Programme Implementation and Statistics pointed out that the objectives of the 20-point programme were yet to be achieved.

The programme is proposed to be restructured by adding five points — Panchayati Raj, child welfare, infrastructure development, social security and development of backward areas. Two points are proposed to be dropped: better use of irrigation water and energy for villages.

Among the three alternatives discussed for better implementation of the programme was inclusion of 112 NCMP items for monitoring. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram is reported to have said this would be "unmanageable." Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh wanted the social sector programmes to be specific. They should be easily monitored.

The 20 points proposed under the programme include poverty alleviation, support to farmers, Panchayati Raj, labour welfare, clean drinking water, health for all, happy family, education to all, empowerment of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, empowerment of women, child welfare, empowerment of youth, home for all, improvement of slums, environment protection and afforestation, food security, infrastructure development, responsive administration, social security and development of backward areas.

Several items of the programme are monitored and reviewed as part of the Millennium Development Goals and the SAARC Social Charter.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail