A critical appraisal

IN A severe indictment of the government's economic policies, the PlanningCommission has observed that capitalexpenditure on infrastructure and socialsector have suffered most in the questfor fiscal deficit control. Public investment in agriculture has become stag-nant or has decreased over the first 3years (1992-95) of the Eighth Planemployment rate has been lower thanenvisaged. Glaring inadequacies in irrigation and flQod control projects havealso come to light.

The mid-term appraisal has warnedagainst the swift and wide opening up ofthe consumer goods sector to imports,as that would have an adverse effect onemployment generation. It has advocated that programmes for providing wageand self-employment be continued asinstruments of direct intervention fortackling poverty. The appraisal has cautioned against neglecting investment inthe farm sector, which continues to havea predominant share in total employment generation.