NEW DELHI, Mar 9: Samata Party president George Fernandes has blasted the United Front government for releasing the Ninth Plan draft on the eve of counting for the Lok Sabha elections saying a BJP government would examine this.`Heaven would not have fallen if they had waited till the election results and installation of new government at the Centre,' Fernandes, whose party is an ally of BJP, told PTI in an interview while questioning the propriety of the Gujral government in releasing the policy document.
Terming the move as `highly improper', he said that the draft and the Ninth Plan approach paper must be examined by Parliament and the new government and it should be `modified' to keep in step with the thrust and policies of the government of the day.
The draft, released by the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Madhu Dandavate on March 1 with the consent of prime minister I K Gujral should be examined and reoriented with the aim of eliminating unemployment in next five to seven years, hesaid.
Asked about the lower share of public investment for agriculture, as reflected in the draft document, Fernandes said not less than 50 per cent of resources should go to rural areas.
Commenting on resource flow to the rural India, Fernandes said rural branches of nationalised banks were mopping up more deposits compared to credit (credit-deposit ratio) in these areas.
`Least developed areas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are getting less than 30 per cent of deposits,' he added.
Critising the government for lack of seriousness on the vital issue of planning, he said `approach paper of Ninth Plan was presented to Parliament in May 1997 and was taken so seriously by the government that in two subsequent sessions it was discussed for only one hour.'
`Therefore I see a certain political purpose in releasing it on the eve of counting of votes for Lok sabha elections,' he quipped.
