Indian Express front page, February 26, 1979.A two-day meeting of the National Development Council reached an accord on sharing of central plan assistance by the states. Accordingly, the central assistance originally provided in the draft sixth five-year plan for 1978-83 is to be distributed in accordance with the old Gadgil formula, the additional central assistance that has become available after cutting out some of the centrally-sponsored schemes is to be allocated in a more progressive manner after taking into account the population and per capita incomes of different states. The formula accepted is the one proposed by the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman D T Lakdawala, in his report to the council.
UP CM Prospects
The prospects of Banarsi Das, the BLD-supported candidate for UP chief ministership, have improved after a meeting between Charan Singh and Congress for Democracy (CFD) leader H N Bahuguna. This is an unexpected development because the Jana Sangh, the main supporter of Gupta, had been banking on the CFD, which has 45 MLAs.
US Indicts China
China is the “transgressor” in its fighting inside Vietnam and risks causing a wider war, US Treasury Secretary Michael Blumenthal said. He delivered a blunt warning to Chinese leaders that further rapid improvements in relations between the US and China could depend on a quick end to the fighting. China’s finance minister, Chang Ching-fu, said Chinese troops were fully justified in invading Vietnam.
War Toll In Vietnam
The Voice of Vietnam, monitored in Bangkok, said the Vietnamese had killed 16,000 Chinese and destroyed 160 tanks in the seven-day war. The casualty claims could not be verified by independent sources and some analysts believed the Vietnamese were exaggerating.
