``An important feature of planning is to examine the disparity between the rates of growth of SDPs. While in 1997-98, Bihar recorded an SDP of one per cent, in Gujarat it was 12 per cent. We need to first address this, which ensures a good growth of the GDP'', Ahluwalia said.

Ahluwalia was speaking on the occasion of the release of the futurology `India -- a look ahead'. The first copy of the book was handed over to him by Assocham president L Lakshman.

Commemorating J R D Tata's name in the form of a futurology like `India -- a look ahead' was a commendable task, said Ahluwalia. However, he felt that in view of the fact that environment had become directly related to industries in the recent past, the Assocham futurology would have donebetter if it had included a chapter on the status of ecology as well.

Noted economist and a contributor to the book, Raja J Chelliah, said in spite of the pay commission recommendation to reduce the government size, all states had revised pay upwards without reducing the size of the government. This had resulted in drying up of funds for the social growth sector, Chelliah said.

The authors of `India -- a look ahead' include, among others, former RBI Governor C Rangarajan, agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, and social activist Shabana Azmi. The topics dealt with include among others a profile of J R D Tata by Anjan Roy and various socio-economic problems of India.Assocham alternate-president K P Singh said the dream of J R D Tata of making the Indian industry free of shackles had still remained largely unfulfilled.

Another author of the book M Anandakrishnan said industry organisations should share the social causes and attempt at reducing the impact of unemployment.