By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: The annual plan outlay for Madhya Pradesh has been fixed at Rs.14,182 crore, which is 18 per cent higher than the last year’s plan outlay which was of Rs. 12,011 crore.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today met the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia at New Delhi today to finalize the annual state plan outlay for the year 2008-09 at Yojana Bhawan.
According to an official Press release of this, Rs.150 crore has been allotted as lump sum special central assistance. Forest Conservation etc. 52 per cent has been allocated for infrastructure development, 32 per cent for social service sector and rest 16 per cent for development of other sectors. Budgetary provision has also been made for SC & ST sector in accordance with their population in the state.
Works pertaining to construction of anganwadi buildings, higher secondary school buildings, strengthening of hostels and ashrams and establishment of bio-diversity parks and a planetarium at Ujjain would be taken up on priority basis.
Chief Minister apprised the Planning Commission of fiscal management done by the Government in last one year where the State Government has not only increased its revenue but also contained the Non-Plan expenditure. The Planning Commission appreciated the fiscal efforts and the reforms process taken up in different sectors by the State Government.
Chouhan informed the Deputy Chairman about the various measures taken by the State Government to cut T & D losses in energy sector from 45 per cent to 41 per cent. He also spoke about the efforts being made in the state to effectively address the gender issue, “Mukhya Mantri Mazdoor Suraksha Yojana”, “Ladli Lakshmi Yojana” and several other welfare schemes initiated by the state government for the upliftment of the masses.
He also informed about severe drought prevailing in the state. He said that 39 out of 48 districts are facing severe drought conditions especially in the Bundelkhand area. He urged that this should be treated as a national calamity and relief to the tune of Rs. 24,000 crores should be given under National Calamity Relief Fund. He also demanded a special package of Rs. 15,000 crore for the state like that given to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for development of backward states.
Deputy Chairman Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia praised the efforts of the state government in initiating various welfare schemes for the masses. He promised full cooperation in development of the state.
Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Raghavji and State Planning Board Chairman Sompal and Chief Secretary Rakesh Sahni and senior officials of the State Government were present in the meeting.
Chouhan informed the Planning Commission that Madhya Pradesh spent 101.2 per cent against the approved outlay of the 10th Plan. The state government has presented revenue surplus budget for last two successive years. It has achieved all the targets of FRBM Act passed in 2005. He further informed that Madhya Pradesh has doubled the power generation capacity and has constructed about 40,ooo kilometre length of roads besides creating irrigation potential for additional nine lakh hectare. Madhya Pradesh has been leading the country in implementation of NREGS.
The Chief Minister said that Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country and has too spent heavily on maintaining this forest cover whereas entire country and world community benefit from its forest wealth and environment. He said that the Supreme Court has asked for providing compensation to the states, which have maintained forest cover above the national average.
Chouhan demanded a compensation of Rs. 8285 crore annually for this. He also stressed the need for fixing the coal royalty at fully ad valorem rates. He said that the irrigation average in Madhya Pradesh is less than national level, therefore, the Greenfield projects should be sanctioned under AIBP and the Central Government should finance the states 50 per cent as grant. He demanded that the limit of central grant for promoting water conservation, irrigation and water saving should be increased to 75 per cent The Chief Minister demanded that in districts which are backward in the field of higher education should be provided at least 75 per cent of the capital cost infrastructure and upto 50 per cent of recurring expenditure till minimum two five-year plans for establishment of colleges of excellence under proposed centrally sponsored scheme. ([email protected])