By IANS
Shimla : Himachal Pradesh’s growth rate in the current fiscal is expected to be 8.5 percent, lower than the target of 9.3 percent.
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented the annual economic survey in the state assembly Wednesday.
It attributed the slowdown to the state economy’s heavy dependence on agriculture and allied activities.
“Tourism has emerged as a major sector in the development of the state’s economy. Due to the liberalised and competitive environment Himachal Pradesh is now being considered a preferred destination, not only for tourism but industry and power as well,” Dhumal said.
“In the current fiscal year the state has hosted over 88 lakh (8.8 million) tourists of which 340,000 were foreign tourists,” he said.
“The state’s per capita income at current prices was likely to touch 39,819 in 2007-08 as compared to last year’s figure of 36,657. This was a good 20 percent higher than the national level,” the chief minister said.
The economic survey further states that the GDP for the year is estimated to touch Rs.31,974 crore (Rs.319.74 billion) as compared to Rs.28,358 crore (Rs.283.58) in the last financial year.