HP to achieve growth rate of 9.3 per cent this year: CM

Shimla, Mar 2 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the state was likely to achieve a growth rate of 9.3 per cent as against a national average of 9.2 per cent during the current year.

Presenting the economic survey report in the House, he said as per advanced estimates the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for 2006-07 at current prices was expected at Rs 28,298 crore as against Rs 25,435 crore for 2005-06 and Rs 23,024 crore for 2004-05.

During the tenth plan period, the average growth rate of the state has been 7.7 percent, he said.

Mr Singh said the per capita income was likely to be at least eight per cent higher at Rs 36,783 in 2006-07 over Rs 33,805 in 2005-06.

The per capita income in Himachal is 26 per cent higher than the national level, he said.

He said inflation management was the key priority of the government and the Consumer Price Index for Himachal increased by five per cent between April-November 2006 as against 5.3 per cent at the national level.

The primary sector which included agriculture, witnesses a growth of only 2.6 per cent, where as agriculture alone takes up 69 per cent of the work force in the state, he said.

Mr Singh said the secondary sector consisting of manufacturing, construction, electricity, gas and water supply, registered a growth of 14.1 per cent in 2005-06.

During the last four years about 8,500 industrial units with investments of more than Rs 22,000 crore have been approved, he said.

In 2006-07, more than 76 lakh tourists visited the state and included about three lakh foreign nationals.

UNI