Union Government approved the Approach Paper for the 12th Plan (2012-17)

The Union Government on 15 September 2011 approved the Approach Paper for the 12th Plan (2012-17) which seeks to attain second generation economic reforms, improving governance and raise annual economic growth rate to 9 per cent during impending five-year period. The Paper would be placed before the National Development Council (NDC) for its final approval in October 2011. The NDC, the highest policy-making body of India is headed by the Prime Minister and its members include Union Ministers, members of Planning Commission, and Chief Ministers of all states.

The Approach Paper provides a broad framework of the government policy to be pursued in the five-year plan period to achieve the desired growth rate of 9 per cent was cleared by the Planning Commission on 20 August 2011.

The theme of the Approach Paper to the 12th Five Year Plan is faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth. Health, education and skill development, environment and natural resources and infrastructure development was pinted to be focus areas in the next Plan.

The paper lay emphasis on inclusive growth. For the first time in the history of the Five Year Plans the Approach Paper has a chapter on governance and corruption. The paper suggests terms measures to be taken to set up new institutions like the Lokpal and Lokayukta. It indicated that corruption at various levels of administration was weakening the confidence of citizens in the quality of governance. Highlighting and anticipating intense conflict over land and water, which are prerequisite to development, the paper  recommended institutional mechanism to deal with such issues.

The Approach Paper is a document that aims to provide the preliminary guidelines to enable the States/UTs prepare their respective proposals. The basic proposal components will have to include :

•    State Portal including Applications & e-forms
•    State Service Delivery Gateway (SSDG)
•    Gap Infrastructure - Identification of gaps in connectivity and computing infrastructure and making provision for the same in the Proposal.
•    Training to the officers of the destination office for e-form processing
•    Content provisioning arrangement
•    Manpower Support

Methodology for Proposal Preparation as mentioned in the Approach Paper

The states while preparing the proposal must follow the following procedures:

Quantify the minimum infrastructure and estimate the cost per office.
Compile list of services wherein service delivery is initiated by submission of application.
Prioritize services for Phase.
Identify the spread and number of officers responsible for application receipt within the State for the identified departments.
Ascertain the number of officials to whom this minimum infrastructure is to be provisioned.

Click here to read details on the Approach Paper for the 12th Plan (2012-17).