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Infrastructure areas, traditionally seen as responsibilities of the Centre, e.g. power,
ports, airports and even national highways are gradually seeing increased private
participation. This calls for a new focus in planning. The Planning Commission should ensure
that all aspects of our policies are conducive to encouraging the private sector to play its
role in infrastructure development. At the same time, there is a concern that issues relating
to marginalized sections may be given a lower priority at the state level. The Planning
Commission should think of ways whereby the responsibility for sectored interventions is
increasingly transferred to states while the Centre retains the flexibility to support targeted
programmers aimed at certain focus groups like SCs, STs, BCs, Minorities and Women.
There seems to be increasing disquiet and discontent among many groups tribal
communities in particular are unhappy about their lot, whether it be land rights, access to
education health or access to economic opportunities. So is the case with SCs, minorities
and women. The Planning Commission should consider ways whereby our policies can be
restructured to give a stake in economic development to the marginalized so that we can
deal with the challenge.
Hon. Members, This will have to be not only in commercial activities but also in
physical infrastructure, where its involvement has been limited in the past. To enable this to
happen, the policy and procedural environment must be made considerably more
welcoming towards private investment; and, the government will have to incentivize the
private sector to enter unfamiliar areas through well designed public-private partnership
models. The MTA document brings out possibilities that exist for such involvement and the
required policy changes. At this point, I would like to raise a few issues which concern the
overall approach to planning as a process. It is important that as a country, we learn to walk
on two legs, one embracing processes of high growth and the other addressing the issue of
redistribution and balanced development. The growth, we need to put in place a set of
policies that tap into the vast reservoir of talent that exists in our country, policies that will
create an environment which reward creativity and enterprise.