NEW DELHI, June 9: The Planning Commission today decided to finalise the documentation of the ninth plan by September for placing before the National Development Council (NDC).The meeting chaired by Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral held a threadbare discussion on various priority sectors and basic minimum services programme, with Gujral insisting that the priority sector target should be strictly adhered to and policies be implemented expeditiously.The three-hour long meeting discussed specific areas like the fund-starved infrastructure sector, especially power and the basic minimum services, Commission sources said.Discussion over the issue of earmarking funds for various priority areas remained inconclusive with members emphasising on implementation of plan programmes alongwith resource mobilisation by both Centre and states collectively. The Prime Minister would shortly be holding a series of meetings with various Central ministries on earmarking of funds.While Agriculture Minister Chaturanan Mishra could not attend the meeting, Finance Minister P Chidambaram was understood to have been supportive of sectoral plan priorities.The approach paper to the ninth plan had already been endorsed by the NDC on January 16 and pegs on a seven per cent growth in the economy with a 28.6 per cent rate of investment.As the domestic savings rate is targeted at 26.2 per cent it would still leave a current account deficit of 2.4 per cent which is sought to be bridged by foreign resource mobilisation including direct investment.Among other things, the meeting discussed the issue of central assistance to states under the Gadgil-Mukherjee formula besides the report of NDC committee on power headed by Sharad Pawar.
