The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Power, irrigation get priority in 11th Plan outlay for State

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Power, irrigation get priority in 11th Plan outlay for State

Nagesh Prabhu

BANGALORE: Irrigation, energy and transport will continue to be priority sectors for Karnataka as it is all set to embark on the 11th Plan from the coming financial year (2007-08). Over 50 per cent of the outlay proposed in the Plan has been earmarked to these three sectors.

Of the proposed outlay of Rs. 96,702.88 crore for the Plan (2007-12), irrigation, energy and transport sectors have been allocated Rs. 48,995.77 crore (50.75 per cent). In the Plan, 38.36 per cent of the outlay has been allocated for irrigation and energy sectors.

The State continued to give priority to the social sector with an allocation of Rs. 32,468.95 crore (33.58 per cent). The social sector comprised general education, technical education, health, water supply and sanitation, housing, labour and employment, welfare schemes of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes will receive a substantial amount in the Plan.

Other sectors that will receive higher allocations are transport (12.39 per cent), rural development (4.74 per cent), agriculture and allied activities (4.25 per cent), according to draft documents of the 11th Plan, which is yet to be approved by the Planning Commission.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswmay, Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Minister for Planning, Science and Technology Ramachandra Gowda, recently held discussions with the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and other members of the panel and explained to them the financial requirement of the State for executing irrigation and energy projects.

A sum of Rs. 17,782.58 crore had been earmarked for the State in the first year (2007-08) of the 11th Plan, an increase of 10 per cent over the budgeted outlay of Rs. 16,166 crore in 2006-07. The coming financial year Plan allocation forms 18.4 per cent of the 11th Plan outlay. Irrigation has been allocated higher amount because large part of the area is prone to drought every year. Of Rs. 24,763.35 crore earmarked for the sector for the five-year period, Rs. 22,215.29 crore (22.97 per cent) has been allocated to major and medium irrigation, Rs. 2,168.06 crore (2.24 per cent) for minor irrigation and Rs. 324 crore for command areas development (0.34 per cent) and Rs. 56 crore for flood control and anti-sea erosion.

The irrigation potential from all sources has been estimated at 55 lakh hectares comprising 35 lakh hectares under major and medium irrigation and 20 lakh hectares under minor irrigation. To tackle electricity shortage in the coming years, the 11th Plan has proposed to spend Rs. 12,248.15 crore on the power sector to add 1,925 MW of power. The Plan has allocated Rs. 120.20 crore for Bellary Thermal Power Station (BTPS) Stage - I (500 MW), Rs. 207.45 crore for Varahi Hyrdro Electric Project Stage - II (230 MW), Rs. 168.9 crore for Bellary Thermal Power Station Stage - II (500 MW), Rs. 775 crore for Raichur Thermal Power Station Unit - 8 (250 MW) and Rs. 145. 30 crore for renovation, modernisation and upgradation of works and Rs. 926 crore for Gundia Hydel project (400 MW). The transport accounted for Rs. 11,984.27 crore or 12.39 per cent of the 11th Plan outlay.

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