HP8217;s 1,440-cr plan cleared

SHIMLA, Oct 12: Himachal Pradesh's annual plan for 1998-99 has been fixed for Rs 1,440 crore. This is 40 per cent more than the original ...

SHIMLA, Oct 12: Himachal Pradesh8217;s annual plan for 1998-99 has been fixed for Rs 1,440 crore. This is 40 per cent more than the original annual plan of Rs 1,008 crore for 1997-98. The decision was taken in a meeting at Delhi today between Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Jaswant Singh and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Pleading the case of the state, Dhumal urged the deputy chairman to give liberal Central support to meet the development needs of the state, as development had come to a standstill in the last couple of years. He said efforts had been made to mobilise additional resources through taxation in this year8217;s budget by the state government, so as to enable it to get Central support in raising resources.

The CM said the state government had decided to accord top priority to the social services sector so as to raise the social development indicators to a level higher than the national average.

Of the aggregate Rs 1,440 crore for 1998-99, Rs 568.43 crore had been envisaged for the social services sector followed by Rs 223.50 cr for the energy sector; Rs 197 cr for the transport and communication sector and Rs 183 cr for agriculture and allied services.

He said this had been ensured higher investment of Rs 2,106.44 crore during the period of Ninth Five Year Plan as compared to an investment of Rs 1213.97 cr. Appropriate investment had also been envisaged in other key sectors like infrastructure building, agriculture and other allied services, including energy, irrigation and rural development, he added.

The CM said that Himachal had ensured cent per cent utilisation of the funds provided last year which also make a strong case for higher allocation.

Referring to the specific projects and schemes proposed to be funded out of this special plan assistance, he said these included parking facilities at Manali, hops palletisation plant, regional hospitals at Hamirpir, Nahan, water supply schemes, sewerage schemes of Solan, Rampur, Dharamsala, Una and other places.

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Dhumal urged the Planning Commission to solve the long-standing issues of Himachal Pradesh on a priority basis. These include grant of 7.19 per cent legal share in the BBMB power system in accordance with provisions of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. Generation tax on electricity and 12 per cent free power in all hydel projects located in Himachal.

Prem Kumar Dhumal thanked Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Planning Commission and the Central government for agreeing to the state government8217;s request for allocation of Rs 100 crore as united additional Central assistance out of Rs 200 crore special financial support for specified projects and accelerating the implementation of the basic minimum services programme.