145;Plan panel146;s growth projection now reality146;

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman K. C. Pant on Tuesday said its projection of 8.0 per cent GDP growth, which was initially laughed at by many in this country, is now a reality. 8216;8216;When the Commission first talked about 8.0 per cent growth in GDP, there was considerable amusement in the country8230; This fiscal, GDP is slated to grow by 8.1 per cent,8217;8217; Pant said.

Addressing a World Bank-Assocham seminar on e-governance, he said: 8216;8216;India has traditionally respected knowledge and it has started paying rich dividends in the recent times in the form of accelerating the process of economic growth.8217;8217;

India8217;s GDP had grown by less than 6.0 per cent in the last two decades 1984-2003 and plummeted to 4.0 per cent in the last fiscal after the drought.

Pant also said that 8216;8216;Recently, a national action plan on e-governance has been endorsed by the PM for 2003-05. This action plan envisages an investment of over Rs 2,500 crore with participation of the Centre, states and FIS.8217;8217;