The Hindu : Kerala News : Rs.7,605-crore annual Plan proposed for Kerala

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Saturday, Dec 15, 2007
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Rs.7,605-crore annual Plan proposed for Kerala

Special Correspondent

Farm, traditional industries thrust areas
Plan utilisations needs to improve: VS

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Planning Board has proposed an annual Plan of Rs.7,605 crore for 2008-09, which is Rs.655 crore more than the Rs.6,950-crore Plan being implemented during the current financial year.

The board finalised its proposal at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan here on Friday. This will be placed before the Cabinet [where it can change] and taken to New Delhi for the approval of the Planning Commission, Mr. Achuthanandan said, briefing the media. He said the sectors identified for thrust during the ongoing 11th Plan period would continue to receive special attention in the 2008-09 annual Plan. Agriculture and traditional industries that sustained the rural poor were these thrust areas.

Sunrise sectors such as information technology and tourism would have “full support,” so also the industries sector. The details would be announced after the approval of the Cabinet and the Planning Commission, he said.

Board Vice-Chairman Prabhat Patnaik said the board tried to keep the Plan size as lean as possible, restricting the allocations to the levels achievable. Still, the allocation proposed for each sector was substantially higher than the current year’s. It was especially higher for social welfare, education and health, Mr. Patnaik said. The proposed allocation for social welfare was Rs.1,554 crore.

Answering a question, Mr. Achuthanandan said the current year’s Plan utilisation had come to only 26 per cent till November. The position was slightly better than that at the same time last year. He had been holding regular meetings to improve matters these recent months. Answering another question, he said it was true that the local self-governments had lagged far behind in utilising Plan allocation. It was also true that externally aided projects had not fared all that well, he said in reply to another question.

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