AHMEDABAD, Oct 13: Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel has demanded that the nine talukas of Kutch and 11 talukas of Banaskanta and Patan districts should be covered under the Border Area Development Programme in view of the sensitive border and coastal areas.Patel raised the demand at a meeting with Union Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Jaswant Singh in Delhi today, while finalising the annual plan outlay for 1998-99 for the State.The plan size was fixed at Rs 5,450 crore. The outlay, representing 21 per cent hike over last year's Rs 4,500 crore, includes a special provision of Rs 945 crore for the Sardar Sarovar Project and, for the first time, a Central assistance of Rs 21 crore for the Gokul Gram Yojana.The commission also agreed to give additional assistance of Rs 100 crore for Rural Infrastructure Development Fund, Rs 70 crore for SLR-based market borrowing, besides assistance of Rs 8.88 crore for Border Area Development Programme, Rs 76 crore for Basic Minimum Service Programme and Rs 564 crore for externally-aided projects.The per capita plan investment comes to Rs 1,320 which is among the highest among the states.``We have decided to adopt a new approach to the development of the State which is duly reflected in the special schemes in the agriculture, rural development, health, education, social welfare sectors, and particularly the Basic Minimum Services Programme'', Patel told Singh.On the economic reform, he said that Gujarat had been carrying out the reforms, adding that Asian Development Bank had offered a public sector resources management programme, including significant financial assistance for various sectors, after realising the pioneering efforts made by the Gujarat Government.Giving details about the innovative Gokul Gram Yojana, Patel said the scheme aimed at creating certain minimum facilities in all the villages. These facilities, he said, were expected to be created all over the State by 2003.On the pending contributions from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan towards the ambitious multi-purpose Sardar Sarovar Project, Patel said that MP was to give Rs 567.81 crore, Maharashtra Rs 185.31 crore and Rajasthan Rs 246.44 crore as on August 31, 1998. He urged the commission to help expedite the release of these arrears.
