‘Focus on critical areas of long term development’

RANCHI | Thursday, February 17, 2011


VIJAY DEO JHA | RANCHI

The special economic advisory committee headed by noted economist, Bibek Debroy, submitted an interim report on Jharkhand to Chief Minister Arjun Munda on Wednesday.

Debroy, however, refused to divulge any detail and the recommendations that he, and two other members of the committee — Laveesh Bhandari and Kumar Vishal -— have made about the socio-economic development of Jharkhand. "Let me submit the detailed report which we will submit on March 7," he told the media.

But chief secretary, AK Singh, who spilled the beans on the report, said later that the report has covered different aspects of governance and the existing system.

For example, the committee has advised the government against filling-up vacancies of the different departments; pending since the last decade, in one-go. The committee's contention is that the posts be filled in a phased manner so that the job opportunity remains available. The report logically argued that in case of mass fill-up of posts it may create stagnation for another one decade which will not be good for the State, Singh said,.

A copy of the report has been sent to the Ministers and Secretaries of the departments to look into the feasibility of 'phase-wise recruitment.' The report has also highlighted the need to improve the functioning of the police department through a modernisation process.

There are certain issues that the committee has suggested the State Government to raise with the Central Government like ad valorem tax, royalty over minerals and compensation for deforestation.

Commending the report as 'outstanding' Munda said the committee prepared the report after visiting different parts of the State while meeting a cross-section of society.

As Munda is keen to turn Jharkhand into a power hub, the report has offered him certain nitty-gritty to realise his ambition. For instance the report has put stress upon creating no-load shedding zone. The report has dwelt in detail over how the State Government should utilise its existing internal resources.

And as the Budget Session of the State Assembly is scheduled ahead, some of the suggestions of the report may find echo in the budget also.

"This time we are planning to expand the 'plan size' of the budget. We will focus upon key and critical areas of long term development," Munda said.