BANGALORE: A five-point programme announced by the State Government on food security, employment guarantee, health security, compulsory education and infrastructure facilities announced on the last Independence Day (2005) is likely to be implemented from the next financial year.

The budgetary constraint is a major reason for postponement of the implementation of the programme. The financial provision for the programme will be made in the coming year State budget for implementation. The allocation for each of the programmes will be made after the Planning Commission fixes the outlay for the State for 2005-06, sources in the Planning Department said.

Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh will hold discussions with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on January 13 in New Delhi to fix the outlay for the State for 2005-06 fiscal. The commission has fixed Rs. 13,556 crores outlay in 2004-05 and the amount is likely to be increased this year. The Planning Commission has appreciated the fiscal targets achieved by the State this year.

Of the five programmes announced by Mr. Dharam Singh, only one is under implementation. The food security programme was launched on October 2.

Mr. Dharam Singh announced the five-point programme in schools on August 15, 2005.

Earlier, the Employment Guarantee scheme was scheduled to be launched on November 19 and a health security programme on January 1, 2006. But the launching of both the programmes was postponed.

The health scheme was proposed for the benefit of rural people living below the poverty line and farm labourers. Under the scheme, arrangements would be made to help poor households at the time of birth, hospitalisation, accident and death. Already, a few schemes are being implemented by the Department of Health and Family Welfare. The scheme would be formulated after detailed discussions with experts and the department heads concerned, sources said.

To turn the schools into attractive centres for children, the Government has decided to create five facilities — classrooms, drinking water, toilets, playground and compound walls — in all government primary schools in the next two years. The programme was scheduled for launch on Children's' Day (November 14), but was put off.

The Directorate of Public Instruction prepared a proposal for creating the facilities in schools and submitted to the Government. It remains only on paper and the Government had not made budgetary provision for implementing it, sources said.

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