SOIL Report 2008 - ACCESS Development Services

Chapter IIIaid. The Plan also seeks to increase adult literacy to 85 per cent by the end of the 11th Plan and in theprocess give special attention to bridging regional, social and gender gaps.The second major part of the inclusive strategy of the Plan is to have a comprehensive health approachwhich encompasses individual health care, public health, sanitation, clean drinking water, access to foodand knowledge about hygiene and feeding practice. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) hasalready been launched to ensure quality health care in rural areas, and will be extended to the Sarva SwasthyaAbhiyan that also covers the health needs of the urban poor. As lack of institutional deliveries has beenidentified as the major reason for child and maternal mortality, the state will explore the possibility of anentitlement system for pregnant women to have professionally supervised deliveries. While the measuresoutlined are commendable, the key to achievement lies in their implementation, which is marred byinadequate investment and lack of quality in the health infrastructure.11. The 11th Plan discusses regional divides and proposes allocation ofcentral and state funds towards specific gapsThe Planrecognisesthatcommunitiesthat havebeen leftbehind inthe growthstory includeSC/STs, andminorities,and otherspecialgroupsthat needattentioninclude thoseaffected bydisabilities,the old, andbeggars.The debate is about allocation of funds between states, tied to specific purposes, and untied funds. Itfocuses on Ho w Mu c h each state should get, by what formula and Ho w To Sp e n d these funds. In thisdebate differences in poverty levels, education and health, gender and human development indices, housingshortages etc. become important as criteria. In keeping the overall emphasis on the Centre decidingthese formulas and retaining fiscal dominance, it completely misses an opportunity to connect with theclaimed ‘rights-based’ perspective. Application of a rights-based, self governance, transparency andaccountability approach calls for greater decentralisation, and would lead towards greater collection oftaxes at the state level and reduce central lists. The current planning perspective does not yet approachthis problem.The Plan recognises that communities that have been left behind in the growth story include SC/STs,including the Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) and nomadic tribes, and minorities, 3 and other specialgroups that need attention include those affected by disabilities, the old, and beggars. The first majormeans for integrating them into growth is through protective measures like reservations for educationand employment, supplemented by a 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities. The economicdevelopment measures include setting up of a Land Reform Commission to enable their controlover land distributed earlier, and preferential or joint land ownership of women. Preferential accessto the employment guarantee scheme and training under the Apprentice Act are further measures topromote employment and employability of these especially disadvantaged groups. Rehabilitation andresettlement of tribals is given importance wherever they have been displaced. However, the DraftNational Rehabilitation Policy of 2006 had invited much criticism and therefore the 11th Plan proposesa comprehensive and integrated national policy for land acquisition, compensation, and resettlement.Moreover, total eradication of the practice of bonded labour, which especially targets SCs and STs, isexpected to be achieved, through intense efforts to identify and rehabilitate bonded labour and theirchildren.12. Trade policies must adhere to the principles of transparency, preferenceto people’s needs and rights74Fiscal policies and development budget allocations reveal a mix of policy approaches. There is recognitionof the need to develop human capital, and to create employment for the masses. The rights-basedapproach taken to employment generation for the rural poor holds tremendous potential for socialprotection, especially of the poorest. Similarly, regulations are proposed for providing social security to3Religious minorities include Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs and Zoroastrians (Parsis)74