NEW DELHI-Planning the Fifth Plan

NEW DELHI Planning the Fifth Plan THE work of framing the Fifth Five- Year Plan may be said to have formally begun with the full meeting of the Planning Commission under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister on April 7. Revision of the Fourth Plan, about which there had been much talk earlier, has now been pushed into the background. It dos not seem likely that such an effort would now be made. The step-up in Plan outlay, provided for in the Budget for the current year, would appear to be the most that the government is in a position to do to salvage what it can of the Fourth Plan. If the higher outlay can be spent effectively and a similar increase in investment is achieved next year, the Fifth Plan may yet start from a more viable base than appeared possible even a few months ago. This prospect appears to have revived interest in problems of planning to some extent. Also, the Planning Commission appears somewhat more confident about firmer and more purposeful political support to its efforts.