Himachal Annual Plan is fixed at Rs. 2700 crore

New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Annual Plan for the year 2009-10 has been fixed at Rs. 2700 crore, which is Rs. 300 crore ( 12.50%) higher in comparison to current annual Plan. The Annual Plan for the State was finalized today at Delhi in a meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and the state Chief Minister Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, which was also attended by top official of the both sides. The Planning Commission has provided Rs. 500 crore as special plan assistance to the state in comparison to the special plan assistance of Rs. 450 crore during the plan size of 2008-2009

Prof. Dhumal told that social sector has been given top priority by allocating Rs. 871.97 crore (32.30%) and added that agriculture and allied services, rural development, irrigation and flood control, energy, transport and communication, general economic services and general services have been allocated Rs. 299.20 crore, Rs. 143 crores, Rs. 270.74 crore, Rs. 354.86 crore, Rs. 547.81 crore, Rs. 95 crore and Rs. 66.57 crore respectively. He told that State has achieved growth rate of 7.7% as against national average of 7.1% during the year 2008-09 despite of global slow down in the economy
Chief Minister told that under the plan Rs. 1732.00 crore, Rs. 668.00 crore, Rs. 243.00 crores and Rs. 57.00 crores would be spent on general plan ,scheduled caste sub plan, tribal sub plan and backward area sub plan in the State. He told that 1700 hectare additional land will be provided irrigation facilities through four major and medium irrigation projects in the plan and added that 16.50 lakh MT food grain production and 11.55lakh MT vegetable production target has been fixed during the plan period. He told that 2500 new handpumps will be set up under the plan and added that so far 25000 hand pumps have been installed in the state till march 2008 in drought prone /acute water scarcity areas to supplement existing piped water supply schemes in the State. He told that three prestigious irrigation projects i.e Shah Nahar Major Irrigation Project, Changer Area Medium Lift Irrigation Project and Sidhata Medium Irrigation Projects would be completed during the plan period and provision of Rs. 65 crore budget has been provided in the plan size for timely completion of these projects. He told that Rs. 62.75 crore cost Balh Valley Medium Irrigation Project would be completed by 2010-11 and added that budget provision of Rs. 20.00 crore has been made in the plan size of 2009-2010. He told a sum of Rs. 19.93 crore would be spend under Atal Awas Yojna /Indira Awas Yojna for constructing 9000 housing units to poor residents of the State.
Prof. Dhumal told that a provision of Rs. 25 crore has been made to meet the state share expenditure in prestigious 63 km long Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Berri broadguage railway line and added that state share also includes cost of land at Rs. 70.00 crores.
Chief Minister told that state will harness 14000 MW hydel power generation during next decade through public private partnership to attain financial sustainability and resource generations and added that budget of Rs. 354.86 crores has been provided for state equity in hydel projects being executed by H.P. Power Corporations. He told that State has set up H.P. Transmission Corporations Ltd and TRANSCO has prepared comprehensive master plan for evacuation of generated power at the total project cost of about 900 million dollars. He requested planning commission to recommend this project for external funding.
Prof. Dhumal requested the planning commission to sanction one IIM and one Indian Institute of Information Technology for the State and also pleaded for setting up one College of Excellence in each district of State. He told that enrolment rate in higher education in the state has been registered at 20%which is double that of national average and added that target has been fixed to achieve 50% enrolment in higher education. He announced that ten new Pvt Universities and five pvt medical colleges will be set up in the State in next one year period. He thanked planning commission for recommending “Clean Energy” gravity drinking water supply scheme for Shimla Capital Region and asked Ministry of Finance to convey “in principal ‘ approval for external funding of this scheme at the earliest.
Prof. Dhumal lamented that while the centre has been liberally providing financial assistance even up to tune of Rs. 10,000 crores to the extremist affected state, who threaten the national unity and integrity of the country but centre becomes reluctant to provide central assistance of even Rs. 1000 crore to peaceful state of Himachal Pradesh who has been on the forefront to fight for the motherland and has given supreme sacrifices for protecting the unity and integrity of the nation. He reminded the centre that the first Param Vir Chakra for fighting in Jammu and Kashmir to save the J &K to nation was awarded to Himachali soldier and added that Himachali soldiers won two Param Vir Chakras out of four P V C awarded during Kargil conflict. He told that himachali soldiers have always been on forefront during both in war and national calamities to serve the nations. He reminded that state farmers has sacrificed the most furtile land for constructions of various national development projects like BBMB, Beas Satluj link, Pong Dam etc but its sacrifices has not been properly respected and acknowledged by the nation . He said that while the entire north India is illuminated with the constructions of various hydel projects commissioned by central and other State govts in Himachal Pradesh, but the displaced farmers from these projects have not been fully rehabilitated even after fifty years of completion of these projects. He also criticised the Central Government for reducing the industrial package time period to the year 2010 instead of original period of the year 2013 and added that while the Central government is giving economic stimulus to the other States, on the other hand, the period of industrial package has been curtailed by the Union Government, which is clear discrimination with hill state .
While commending the outstanding work done by the State government, he said that state employees have illuminated the highest village of Asia , its doctors are available in remotest corner of state and its teachers are doing excellent services in snow bound tribal areas which has been appreciated by Nobel laurets like Amretya Sen but during the sanctions of the packages and incentives all these factors are ignored and the state people feels ignored and discriminated by the centre in all the times.