from the Financial Times 27/11/63
India's third 5 yoar plan is likely to fall short of alnost every torget when it ends in 1966, judging from an official report by the Plonning Commission published in New Delhi on Nov. 26th, Ths report, a mid-tom appreisal of the plan, has been placed before Parliament. It said tho country's plannod rate cf esonomic development in the prst two yore had fallen off seriously.
It put the blome mainly on set-backs tc agriculture caused by two bad harvesta, but also referred to "the now burdens and responsibilities" berne | since last year's border clash with China. The 200 page r-pert showed that tho . Snnucl rate of increase in the national income over thy past two years had boon only 26 Iby—e the ite. gi rise, This had been cancelled out hy the : population ingrenasa, which/Also estimated at 2.5%, ond may be as high as 24 Tie Industrial production incroased by only 8%, against 2 planned avarage rise of 11%, slthough somo individual industriszs had regicterad high expansion setet.
The report said food production had dropped over 2m, tons last year, but prospects for thia year's crop szemed good. However, figures given “ in ths report showed that the price index has risen 8% in the last nine months, with the bulk of the increase in the price of food, particularly rise and sugar,