Some progress was made in implementing this programme in 1975-76 and 1976-77. Some of the objectives were achieved but much remained to be accomplished. Therefore, the earlier twenty-point programme has been revised. It was announced by the Prime Minister on 14th January, 1982.
The objectives of the revised twenty-point programme are as under :
1. To increase irrigation, develope and apply technologies for dry land agriculture.
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2. To make special efforts to increase production of pulses and vegetables oils seeds.
3. To strengthen and expand rural development and national rural employment programmes.
4. To implement agricultural land ceilings. To distribute surplus land and to complete compilation of land records.
5. To effectively enforce minimum wages for agricultural labour.
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6. Rehabilitate bonded labour.
7. To speed up programmes for the development of scheduled castes and tribes.
8. To supply drinking water to all problem villages.
9. To allot houses sites to villagers who are without them and also make programmes for giving construction assistance to them.
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10. To improve the conditions of slums, start programmes of house buildings for the poor and take steps to control the increase in land prices.
11. Increase power generation, improve the working of electricity authorities and provide electricity to all villages.
12. To follow effectively the programmes of afforestation, social and farm forestry, to develop bio-gas and other alternative energy sources.
13. To promote family planning on a voluntary basis with people’s cooperation.
14. To introduce universal primary health care facilities and control of leprosy, T.B. and blindness.
15. Speed up programmes of welfare for women and children and nutrition programmes for pregnant women, nursing mothers and children, especially in tribal hill and backward areas.
16. Spread education for the age-group 6-14 especially for girls and engage students and other agencies for the removal of adult illiteracy.
17. Open fairer price shops, including mobile shops in far-flung areas, open shops to meet the needs of the industrial workers, student’s hostel, and provide to students text-books and exercise books on a priority basis.
And to start movement to protect the consumer from those charging undue prices, supplying adulterated goods and black-marketers.
18. In order to complete the projects undertaken for the benefit of the nation, to give relaxation in investment policies and steam line industrial policies. To give all facilities to handicrafts, handlooms, small and village industries.
19. To take strict action against smugglers, hoarders and tax evaders and check black money.
20. To improve the working of the public enterprise by increasing efficiency, utilising the available capacity to full extent, and produce internal resources.
Image Source: research.northwest.nhs.uk
We can see from the above points that the twenty-point programme included most important social and economic programmes of the Sixth Plan. The main object of the programme was to provide better living conditions for the weaker sections of the society and also to achieve all-round improvement in production.
The Revised Twenty-Point Programme was a part of the Sixth Plan. As in the Sixth Plan, so in this programme the main aim was to help and improve the living conditions of poorer sections of society.
Through enforcement of minimum wages for agricultural labour, it aimed at increasing the income of the poor.
Under this programme it was proposed to supply drinking water to all problem villages, allot house sites to rural families and expand programmes of construction assistance to them, improve the condition of slums and start programmes of house building for economically weaker sections, provide primary health care facilities, control leprosy, T.B. and blindness, spread elementary education, remove illiteracy, provide electricity to all villages and speed up programmes of family welfare for women and children.
This programme also aimed at increasing the over-all production in the economy. To increase the agricultural production irrigation will be improved.
To make available essential commodities at reasonable prices, expansion of the public distribution system was undertaken by opening fairer price shops. Text books and exercise books were made available to students.
In order to control the growth of population, family planning was proposed to be made a people’s movement under this programme.
The National Development Council at its meeting held on 14 March 1982, expressed its determination to implement effectively the 20-point programme. The central ministries and state governments were requested to take all possible steps for effective implementation of the programme.
They were requested to submit progress reports monthly and quarterly to the Planning Commission.
Thus, this revised Twenty-Point Programme was expected to result in all-round progress of the country and help the economically poor sections of the society in particular.
During 1985-86 some achievement was recorded under the Twenty Point Programme in the following areas:
(a) Dry land farming;
(b) National rural employment programme;
(c) Rural landless employment guarantee programme;
(d) Scheduled caste families assisted;
(e) Scheduled tribes families assisted;
(f) Drinking water;
(g) House sites allotment;
(h) Construction assistance;
(I) slum improvement;
(j) Pump sets energized;
(k) Tree plantation; and
(I) Biogas plants.