Public sector and Planning in India

1.      Why was public sector given a leading role in industrial development during the planning period?

Answer:

At the time of independence, Indian economic conditions were very poor and weak. There was neither much private capital nor did India have international investment credibility so as to attract foreign investment. Moreover, Indian planners did not want to be dependent on foreign capital for economic development. In such a situation, it was only the public sector that could take the initiative.
The following are the reasons that explain the driving role of the public sector in the industrial development :

(i) Lack of Capital with the Private Entrepreneurs —Industrial development in India needed a big push. At the time of independence, the requirement of capital for diversified industrial growth far exceeded its availability with private entrepreneurs (Tata and Birla). Accordingly, it became essential for the state to.foster industrial growth through public sector undertakings.

(ii) Lack of Incentive among the Private Entrepreneurs—The private investors lacked incentives as well. Owing limited size of the market, there was no inducement to invest. Only a big push of public investment could break this vicious circle of low inducement to investment.

(iii) Socialistic Pattern of Society—The government realized that, this objective could be achieved only through direct participatRole of public sectors in the development of the country is explained below:

• Public Sector and Capital Formation: The role of public sector in collecting saving and investing them during the planning ear has been very important. During the first and second five year plan it was 54% of the total investment, which declined to 24.6 % in the 2010-11.

• Employment Generation: Public sector has created millions of jobs to tackle the unemployment problem in the country. The number of persons employed in the as on march 2011 was 150 lakh. Public sector has also contributed a lot towards the improvement of working and living conditions of workers by serving as a model employer.

• Balanced Regional Development: Public sector undertakings have located their plants in backward parts of the county. These areas lacked basic industrial and civic facilities like electricity, water supply, township and manpower. Public enterprises have developed these facilities thereby bringing about complete transformation in the socio-economic life of the people in these regions. Steel plants of Bhilai, Rourkela and Durgapur; fertilizer factory at Sindri, are few examples of the development of backward regions by the public sector.

• Contribution to Public Exchequer: Apart from generation of internal resources and payment of dividend, public enterprises have been making substantial contribution to the Government exchequer through payment of corporate taxes, excise duty, custom duty etc. gross internal resource generation in 1990- 2000 was 36000 cr which rose to 1, 11,000 cr in 2008-09, while net profit was 92,077 cr in 2010-11.

• Export Promotion and Foreign Exchange Earnings: Some public enterprises have done much to promote India’s export. The State Trading Corporation (STC), the Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation (MMTC), Hindustan Steel Ltd., the Bharat Electronics Ltd., the Hindustan Machine Tools, etc., have done very well in export promotion.

• Import Substitution: Some public sector enterprises were started specifically to produce goods which were formerly imported and thus to save foreign exchange. The Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd., the Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (IDPL), the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC), the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., the Bharat Electronics Ltd., etc., have saved foreign exchange by way of import substitution.

• Promotion of Research and Development: As most of the public enterprises are engaged in high technology and heavy industries, they have undertaken research and development programmes in a big way. Public sector has laid strong and wide base for self-reliance in the field of technical know-how, maintenance and operation of sophisticated industrial plants, machinery and equipment in the country. Expenditure on research and development reduces the cost of production.