12.50% higher than current Annual Plan has been fixed for Himachal

By: Disha Singh Sharma

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh got its Annual Plan for year 2009-10 finalised at Rs. 2700 crore, which is Rs. 300 crore i.e. 12.50% higher in comparison to current annual Plan at Delhi in a meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and the Himachal Chief Minister, Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal.

State has got an increase of Rs. 50 crore as special plan assistance from last plan’s Rs. 450 crore, which comes to Rs. 500 crore.

The Plan has allocated Rs. 871.97 crore (32.30%) and agriculture and allied services, rural development, irrigation and flood control, energy, transport and communication, general economic services and general services have been allocated Rs. 299.20 crore, Rs. 143 crores, Rs. 270.74 crore, Rs. 354.86 crore, Rs. 547.81 crore, Rs. 95 crore and Rs. 66.57 crore respectively.

Rs. 1732.00 crore, Rs. 668.00 crore, Rs. 243.00 crores and Rs. 57.00 crores will be spent on general plan, scheduled caste sub plan, tribal sub plan and backward area sub plan in the State.

Prof. Dhumal told that a provision of Rs. 25 crore has been made to meet the state share expenditure in prestigious 63 km long Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Berri broadguage railway line and added that state share also includes cost of land at Rs. 70.00 crores.

State has set up H.P. Transmission Corporations Ltd and TRANSCO has prepared comprehensive master plan for evacuation of generated power at the total project cost of about 900 million dollars.

He told that 1700 hectare additional land will be provided irrigation facilities through four major and medium irrigation projects in the plan and added that 16.50 lakh MT food grain production and 11.55lakh MT vegetable production target has been fixed during the plan period.

He told that State has achieved growth rate of 7.7% as against national average of 7.1% during the year 2008-09 despite of global slow down in the economy. And, the enrollment rate in higher education in Himachal has been registered at 20% which is double that of national average and added that target has been fixed to achieve 50% enrollment in higher education.