Honourable
Members, I welcome you to this session which marks the halfway of
my Government. I hope this session will be productive and useful.
The current year has been a difficult one for the world economy.
Economic volatility has had an adverse impact across the globe.
There is increased political instability in the international system
and the environment in which we operate has become more challenging over the
last one year. Our economy grew at a handsome rate of 8 per cent in
2010-11, but it has slowed down to about 7 per cent this year. This100 remains a healthy growth amid current
global trends. The long-term fundamentals of the Indian economy remain
robust. India’s growth prospects120
arise from factors such as high domestic savings and investment rates,
and a stable democratic polity. My Government is confident that it will
soon steer the country back to the high growth trajectory of 8 to 9 per
cent.
My
Government has remained committed to providing an honest and more efficient
Government and has taken several important steps towards that end. A formidable
array of Bills has been introduced in the Parliament for preventing
corruption and enhancing transparency and accountability200 in governance. The Government has taken
action on various fronts to tackle the menace of black money. Efforts are
underway to build political consensus on the Goods and Services Tax,
which will give a major boost to the economy by240
rationalising indirect taxes and giving full input credit. We are taking
many steps to contain the generation and outflow of illicit funds from
the country and for opening channels for getting wider information on black
money from other countries.
Efficient
and automated delivery of public services with minimum human
intervention is one of the keys to reducing corruption. More than300 97,000 Common Service Centres
have been established across the country for making public services available
to citizens. To reach the millions of deprived people, my Government has
launched a unique AADHAAR scheme which would help improve service delivery, transparency
and accountability in social sector programmes and lead to their financial
inclusion.
The
year 2012-13 will360 mark the
first year of the 12th Five Year Plan that sets the goal of faster and inclusive
growth. The Approach Paper sets a target growth rate of 9 per cent for the 12th
Plan period with 4 per cent400
growth for the agriculture sector. The objective of livelihood security
is best achieved through a process of rapid and inclusive growth based on
empowering the citizens of the country through education and skill
development. Building on the platform provided by the Right to Education,
integration of skill training with education at all levels is being
emphasized. My Government aims to provide skill training to 800 lakh people
during the 12th Plan. The Government will set up 1500 new480 Industrial Training Institutes and 5000
Skill Development Centres under public-private partnership at an
estimated cost of Rs. 13,000500
crore.
The
Higher Education and Research Bill has been introduced in the Parliament. The
teacher is at the core of the education system. My Government intends to launch
a National Mission for Teachers aimed at improving teacher education and
faculty development. During the past one year, over one crore students
belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Minorities
have been awarded scholarships. People need to be healthy if they have
to learn, earn and lead a productive life.
Our
National Rural Health Mission has started making a difference as reflected in
the health indicators. Polio has been600
almost eradicated from the country. The World Health Organisation has
decided to take India off the list of countries with active poliovirus
transmission. In spite of the increased investment in health sector over the
last 7 years, public expenditure on healthcare continues to be low. To attain
the goal of universal healthcare, my Government would endeavour to
increase both Plan and Non-Plan public expenditure in the Centre and the States
taken together to 3 per cent of the GDP by the end of the 12th Plan. Universal
access to free generic essential medicines in public health institutions
in a phased700 and time bound
manner will be ensured. The National Rural Health Mission will be converted
into a National Health Mission720
covering urban areas also, in the course of the 12th Plan. We will
strengthen district hospitals to provide advanced level secondary care.
My
Government is also working to end the shortage of human resources in
health sector. Over the last three years, there has been a 26 per
cent increase in MBBS seats and 62 per cent increase in post graduate seats. It
is expected that by the end of the 12th Plan around 7 crore families will800 be provided health insurance
cover under this scheme. Malnutrition has been seriously impacting
children, affecting their chances of gaining education and earning sustainable
livelihood. My Government will restructure and strengthen the Integrated Child
Development Services during the 12th Five Year840
Plan.
My
Government is committed to the development of the vulnerable sections of
society. In order to safeguard and promote the livelihoods of millions of
street vendors, my Government is working on a legislation. A separate Department
of Disability Affairs is proposed to be set up for greater focus on
addressing issues confronting persons with disabilities. The Government
is considering900 a new
legislation for persons with disabilities to replace the existing Act.
My Government is setting up a National Council for Senior Citizens for this
important segment of our population. Introduction of a scheme for Minimum
Support Price for minor forest produce is being considered. My Government will
consolidate the gains of the Prime Minister’s New 15-Point Programme which
earmarks 15 per cent of the targets and outlays of identified Government
schemes for minority communities. The outstanding loans to minority
communities by public sector banks have increased to 15 per cent of
priority sector lending for the year1000
2011-12. My Government will strive to reach the target of 15 per cent
during the year 2012-13. The agricultural sector has seen 7 per cent growth
during 2010-11, the highest growth rate recorded in recent times. The
country witnessed a record production of 241 million tonnes of food grains
during 2010-11. We have achieved record production of fruits and vegetables,
pulses, oilseeds, and cotton.1078
