Himachal plan gets Rs 3,700 cr

The Planning Commission has also agreed to the state government’s demand of releasing Rs 52 crore arrear which the Punjab government need to pay for the Shahnehar project in Kangra district. “The plan amount has been approved for the state’s overall performance in growth indicators,health sector performance and also hydro-power generation beside the implementation of ongoing schemes in agriculture sector,” said Srikant Baldi,Principal Secretary (Finance) in Dhumal’s government.

The state government has been passing through serious financial constraints,and 45 per cent of its budget goes on payment of salaries,allowances and pensions to government servants. Even in today’s meeting,the CM highlighted the burgeoning liability on the state exchequer due to salaries and pensions.

Dhumal said that despite this,the 13th Finance Commission “grossly under estimated the burden and assumed an average annual growth in salaries of 2 percent for the period 2010-2015.”

“Whereas the DA increase alone was 18 per cent in 2010 and 13 percent in 2011. If the 13th Finance Commission had given grants at par with other States,Himachal would have got additional Rs 10,725 crore extra for the period 2010 to 2015,” said the chief minister.

The under estimation of committed liabilities during the 2012-13 alone is over Rs 4,000 crore and surprisingly,the Planning Commission under estimated even the pension liability by Rs 1000 crore,” he added.

Dhumal raised the issue of the funding of the proposed Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri Railway Line under which,it was agreed that the total project cost of Rs 1,046 crore for the 63-km railway line would be shared between the Railways and state government in the ratio 75:25.

On state government’s performance,Dhumal said it has achieved an annual growth rate of 8.1 per cent during the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012) which is higher than the national growth rate of 7.9 percent added that estimated growth rate of state for the year 2011-12 is 7.6 per cent against the national growth rate of 6.9 pc

He said the state has completed 33 lakh enrollments under AADHAAR and the process will be completed by July 2012. He said that in order to provide responsive and accountable administration,12 departments have been notified under the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Guarantee Bill 2011 to provide time-bound services to the people of the state