Commerce and Industry: Centre’s bottom-up approach to begin from districts

Dimapur, April 22 (EMN): The central government has devised a ‘District Plan’ with the express aim to “involve the districts more actively in the growth of the Indian economy and to formulate a common development vision starting from the district level through a participatory mechanism”.

A statement from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Monday informed that a decision to this effect was taken by the union minister of Commerce and Industry, Suresh Prabhu. “There is need to create resource-based plans, for the districts based on a bottom-up approach and implement the plan by going beyond a silo mind-set.  An addition of 3% growth at the district level will ensure that USD 5 trillion target for the Indian economy becomes achievable.

“The plan will provide specific interventions taking into account resources, strengths of the districts, sectoral interventions for agriculture including mapping of cropping pattern, industry including MSME and services relevant for the districts, skilling initiatives, ease of doing business, access to credit and convergence of existing efforts in public and private sectors,” it stated.

Initially, the project will be confined to a total six districts from Maharashtra, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. “A steering committee will be formed to oversee creation and implementation of the plan. It will be headed by minister for Commerce and Industry with members from different ministry of union government and representatives from state governments of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh,” it informed.