Need for better implementation of unemployment, poverty schemes to ensure benefits: FM

NEW DELHI - The Economic Survey tabled by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha today states that there is a need for better convergence of schemes related to unemployment and poverty alleviation, to avoid duplication and leakages and to ensure that the fruits of the schemes reach the targeted beneficiaries.

The Survey states that policy structures need to be firmed up to facilitate effective implementation of these programmes and to ensure that allocation results in outputs and outputs result in outcomes.

Initiatives like the outcome budget and the setting up of the Unique Identification Authority of India by the Government are some steps in this directionccording to the Economic Survey, the advantage of a young population and the realization of the democratic dividend is another factor that calls for some more reforms in the education system and health sector.

It goes on to say that mobilization of funds for higher education is a challenge for the Government. The gap in available resources could possibly be met by a tailor-made Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode of funding without diluting the regulatory oversight of the Government.

Private-sector participation in social sectors, such as health and education, sometimes referred to as public-social-private partnership (PSPP), could be one of the possible alternatives for supplementing the ongoing efforts of the Government.

In order to put in place such mechanisms, crucial issues such as risks and returns associated with such high cost projects need to be suitably addressed to ensure that there are enough takers for such PSPP projects in the market on a self-sustainable basis. (ANI)