JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Monday called upon the Centre to devolve more financial powers to the States and suggested that an "untied fund'' be allocated regularly to States in addition to the assistance given under the Centrally-sponsored schemes.

Discussing the draft approach paper for the 11th Five Year Plan with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and other Members in New Delhi, Ms. Raje said more financial powers would enable the States to contribute fully to integrated development of the country.

Ms. Raje said the share of States in service tax should be raised to at least 50 per cent and the gross budgetary support to the State Plans be enhanced from 25 per cent to 40 per cent. This would be in keeping with the recommendations of the Twelfth Finance Commission, she added.

Describing the Planning Commission's approach paper for the 11th Plan as "balanced but conservative'', Ms. Raje pointed out that the targeted growth rate of 8.5 per cent and doubling the per capita income in the next ten years were "neither ambitious targets nor the correct assessment of development potential of the country''.

The Chief Minister suggested that the Planning Commission aim at a double-digit growth rate for the 11th Plan. She said the existing infrastructure should be improved, labour laws reformed and significant policy decisions taken to achieve 9.4 per cent growth rate of service sector and 10 per cent of industrial sector during the Plan period.

"The policy decisions should be taken not on the basis of politics of compromise but keeping in view the development needs of the country,'' said Ms. Raje. She underlined the need to promote public-private partnership, reduce wasteful subsidies and expenditure and speed up disinvestment for achieving the Plan targets.

While affirming that Rajasthan was soon going to be a revenue surplus State as a result of efficient financial management, Ms. Raje said balanced development of States with a greater State Plan size would strengthen the nation.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the desert State had involved private institutions and non-Government organisations in education, health, midday meal and other sectors, and had recently witnessed successful implementation of a `Jal Chetana Abhiyan' (water awareness drive) with a massive community participation.

Calling for implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan up to the secondary school level, Ms. Raje demanded that the share of States in the ambitious scheme be reduced from the existing 25 per cent to 10 per cent in view of the fact that the entire amount of cess was retained by the Central Government.

Ms. Raje said emphasis should be laid on the issues, needs and strategies for overall development of women and children while finalising the approach paper and specific steps such as extension of midday meal scheme to middle schools and appointment of a Technology Mission for Education be taken.

Ms. Raje expressed dissatisfaction over the selection of only six districts of Rajasthan in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme despite the big geographical size of the State.

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