The Hindu Business Line : Panel to moot formation of water resources body in TN

The State Planning Commission will recommend the formation of a Water Resources Management Authority in Tamil Nadu, its Vice-Chairman, Mr M. Naganathan, said here on Friday.

"Rejuvenating the agriculture sector in the State will be the priority of the Eleventh Plan (2007-2012). Efficient use of available water resources is of vital importance as Tamil Nadu is a water deficient State. We will moot the formation of the Authority in the Eleventh Plan to evolve and manage State-wide strategies," Mr Naganathan said.

Though nearly 56 per cent of Tamil Nadu's population was dependent on agriculture, there has been a decline in the sector's contribution to the overall economy of the State over the past decade. The Plan will come up with strategies to revive the sector.

Answering a query on the financial transfers from the Centre to the State Government, Mr Naganathan said the Commission was of the view that the political federalism at the Centre should result in financial decentralisation.

Fiscal management

Devolution of funds from the Finance Commission has come down, especially to better performing States, including Tamil Nadu.

"We will put forward constructive suggestions on these and other issues of fiscal management," he said.

The Eleventh Plan will set realisticdevelopment goals, rather than tall projections, while keeping with the overall objective of achieving a growth rate of 8.5 per cent as envisaged by the Union Planning Commission.

School syllabi

The Commission would evolve plans, in consultation with academicians, to reformulate the school syllabi, right from standard I to XII, without sacrificing the basic elements, he said.

The idea is to divide school education into four stages and promote a scientific and thematic approach to learning, Mr P. Jagadeesan, Member, State Planning Commission, and former Vice-Chancellor of Bharathidasan University, said.

Imparting English fluency at the school level, in keeping with the requirements of the job market, will also be a given a push. However, this would be done without affecting the primacy of Tamil, Mr Naganathan added.

On the higher education front, the Commission would recommend creating centres of excellence in the State universities and educational institutions to promote advanced research in basic and applied sciences.

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