Maharashtra Panned Development
What is mean by Planned Development & Why it is Necessary:
When Independence came, India had a slender industrial base. Millions of her rural people suffered under the weight of a traditional agrarian structure. A long period of economic stagnation, against the background of increasing pressure of population, followed by the burdens of the Second World War, had weakened the Indian economy, so the states. There was widespread poverty and want. The partition of the country had uprooted millions of people and dislocated economic life. Productivity in agriculture and industry stood at a low level. In relation to needs the available domestic savings were altogether meagre. The promise of freedom could only be redeemed if the economic foundations were greatly strengthened. The Constitution established equal rights of citizenship, and these had now to be expressed through rising levels of living and greater opportunities for the bulk of the people. It ‘was essential to rebuild the rural economy, to lay the foundation of industrial and scientific progress, and to expand education and other social services. These called for planning on a national scale, encompassing all aspects of economic and social life, for efforts to mobilise resources, to determine priorities and goals and to create a widespread outlook of change and technological progress. Thus, planned development was the means for securing with the utmost speed possible, a high rate of growth, reconstructing the institutions of economic and social life and harnessing the energies of the people to the tasks of national development.
To provide the good life to the four hundred million people of India and more is a vast undertaking, and the achievement of this goal is far off. But no lesser goal can be kept in view, because each present step has to be conditioned by the final objective. Behind the plans that are drawn up is the vision of the future, even as the Indian people had a vision of freedom and independence during the long years of their national struggle, and there is faith and confidence in that future. Fully conscious of existing difficulties the people have also the conviction that these difficulties will be overcome. The experience of the last ten years of planning and the large social and economic changes that have already taken place have brought a conviction that India can look forward with assurance to sustained economic progress. Even in this ancient land, for so long governed by tradition, the winds of change are blowing and affecting not only the dweller in the city but also the peasant in his field. At each stage, new conflicts and new challenges arise. They have to be met with courage and confidence. There is an excitement in this changing face of India as the drama of India’s development plans unfolds itself.
The more immediate problem is to combat the curse of poverty, with all the ills that it produces, and it is recognised that this can only be done by social and economic advance, so as to build up a technologically mature society and a social order which offers equal opportunities to all citizens. This involves basic social and economic changes and the replacing of the old traditional order by a dynamic society. It involves not only the acceptance of the temper and application of science and modern technology, but also far-reaching changes in social customs and institutions. To some extent, recognition of this twofold aspect of change has been present in the Indian mind for generations past. Gradually it has taken more concrete shape and has become the basis for planning.
In the Constitution the basic objectives were set forth as “The Directive Principles of State Policy”. Among those ‘Directive Principles’ were those
“The State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting, as effectively as it may, a social order in which justice, social, economic and political, shall inform all the institutions of national life”.
Further that—
“The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing—
- that the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood;
- that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to subserve the common good;
- that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment.”
These general principles were given a more precise direction in December, 1954, when Parliament adopted the ‘socialist pattern of society’ as the objective of social and economic policy. This concept, which embodies the values of socialism and democracy and the approach of planned development, involved no sudden change, and had its roots deep in India’s struggle for freedom.
The leading features of the pattern of development envisaged in the Five Year Plans may be briefly stated. The basic objective is to provide sound foundations for sustained economic growth, for increasing opportunities for gainful employment and improving living standards and working conditions for the masses. In the scheme of development, the first priority necessarily belongs to agriculture; and agricultural production has to be increased to the highest levels feasible. The Five Year Plans provide for a comprehensive and many-sided effort to transform the peasant’s outlook and environment. The growth of agriculture and the development of human resources alike hinge upon the advance made by industry. Not only does industry provide the new tools, but it begins to change the mental outlook of the peasant. There can be no doubt that vast numbers of the peasantry today in India are undergoing this change of outlook as they use new tools and experiment with new methods of agriculture. Even the coming of the bicycle in large numbers to the villages of India is not only a sign of higher standards, but is a symbol of new and changing attitudes. Agriculture and industry must be regarded as integral parts of the same process of development. Through planned development, therefore, the growth of industry has to be speeded and economic progress accelerated. In particular, heavy industries and machine-making industries have to be developed, the public sector expanded and a large and growing cooperative sector built up. The public sector is expected to provide specially for the further development of industries of basic and strategic importance or in the nature of public utility services, other industries being also taken up by Government to the extent necessary. State trading has also to be undertaken on an increasing scale according to the needs of the economy. In brief, in the scheme of development, while making full use of all available agencies, the public sector is expected to grow both absolutely and in comparison and at a faster rate than the private sector.
Bombay Plan
In 1944 Eight Industrialists of Bombay including Mr. JRD Tata, GD Birla, PurshottamdasThakurdas , LalaShriram, kasturbhailalbhai, AD Shroff , ArdeshirDalal, & John Mathai working together prepared “A Brief Memorandum Outlining a Plan of Economic Development for India” which was popularly known as Bombay Plan. This plan envisaged doubling the per capita income in 15 years and tripling the national income during this period. However Pundit ji did not officially accept the plan, yet many of the ideas of the plan were inculcated in other plans which came later.
Economic Growth:
In the Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-07) Maharashtra has set for itself a GDP growth rate of 8 per cent with accelerated economic development through infra-structural development, with more private initiative in all possible sectors, ensuring high speed industrial development and creating large scale employment.
Agriculture:
Following developments were made-
- Cereal production increased mainly due to improved methods and technologies.
- Maharashtra ranked second in the production of coarse cereals.
- Yields also increased in cotton, oil seeds, vegetables and fruits.
- Maharashtra ranked first in the production of cottons and onions and second in sugarcane.
- Sugarcane contributed significantly to the growth in the total value of agricultural output in the 1990s.
- There is no doubt that the cropping pattern has been changed over the period from low value prouducts to high value prouducts.
Industrial Growth:
- Maharashtra contributes 18 per cent to country’s industrial output.
- The industrial activity in Maharashtra is concentrated in four districts viz. Mumbai city, Mumbai suburban districts, thane and Pune.
- The composition of the organised industrial sector in Maharashtra has undergone considerable change in the past times.
- In early sixties, the consumer goods industry was more prominent than the capital goods and the intermediate goods industry.
- However, recently the capital goods and the intermediate goods industries have assumed greater importance than the consumer goods industry.
- The industries in Maharashtra include chemicals and chemical products, food products, refined petroleum products, machinery and equipment, textiles, furniture, basic metals, motor vehicles, trailers and other transport equipment.
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