NEW DELHI- Mock Debate on the Plan

NEW DELHI Mock Debate on the Plan B M THE resignation of B S Minnas, one of the Members of the Planning Commission, was not allowed to cause even a ripple at the meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) called to endorse the draft Fifth Plan. The Chief Ministers were given what virtually amounted to a whip against any mention of the resignation or any reference to the objections that Min has had raised against the draft Plan. Indeed, the brief note submitted by Minhas to the Prime Minister outlining his differences with the draft Plan has not been circulated even to oiher Members of the Commission so fan Minhas, it should be mentioned, has not resigned from the Planning Commission in the conventional sense. He merely wrote a brief letter to the Prime Minister on December 5 in which he asked for permission to avail of the leave due to him so that he could find his way back to academic work since he was not being effective in the Planning Commission. Earlier, at the lime of the full meeting of the Planning Commission in the middle of November when the draft Plan was adopted, the Prime Minister had been given a note by him outlining his doubts and reservations about the draft Plan, The Prime Minister has kept this note entirely to herself and has not showed it even to other Members of the Commission. Minhas had been given to understand then that an opportunity would come his way to explain his position to the Union Cabinet when it considered the draft Plan. This opportunity, however, never came.