CM presents supplementary demands of Rs 1,047 crore

Shimla, Feb 23 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today presented supplementary demands of Rs 1047.52 crore in the Vidhan Sabha for 2006-07.

''Out of this, Rs 324.93 crore is proposed under the plan schemes, Rs 191.30 crore under the centrally-sponsored schemes and Rs 531.29 crore under the non-plan,'' he told the Assembly on the second day of the Budget session, while presenting the final batch of the demands for this financial year.

Mr Singh said a majority of the expenditure proposed under the plan would be attached to infrastructure development schemes with Rs 34.54 crore being spent on setting up of schools and colleges, Rs 30.56 crore on buildings and roads and Rs 109.43 crore on rural water supply and irrigation schemes.

Besides, a sum of Rs 50.52 crore would be spent on schools, health buildings and roads under the Planning and Backward Area Sub-Plan. Rs 6.62 crore has been earmarked as grant-in-aid to panchayati raj institutions, Rs 7.10 crore as grant-in-aid to urban local bodies and Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Development Authority (BBNDA) and Rs 1.70 crore for modernisation of ITIs, he said.

He said the state government has also proposed a sum of Rs 191.30 crore for the central-sponsored schemes.

''The proposal would help in funding ongoing or new schemes for which the money has been received from the Centre during the year.'' The Chief Minister said 86.96 crore would be spent on maintaining rural water supply schemes, Rs 8.13 crore on mid-day meal, Rs 5.05 crore for being spent under the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Scheme, Rs seven crore for modernisation of police force and jails and Rs 16.09 crore as share capital and loan for cooperative projects.

Under the non-plan expenditure, the government has proposed sum of Rs 154 crore for Roll Back Power Tariff, Rs 88.34 crore for energy charges of IPH Department, Rs 101 crore for pension payments of retired employees, Rs 13.46 crore for maintainance of IPH schemes, he added.

UNI