CM terms Budget forward looking and growth oriented

Shimla, Mar 5 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today termed the 2007-08 budget estimates ''forward looking and growth oriented'', saying the thrust was on social welfare, agriculture, horticulture, education and health sectors.

''The Budget will accelerate the pace of development in the state by laying special emphasis on completing on going projects and creating new vistas of development,'' he told reporters after presenting the Budget estimates for 2007-08 in the Assembly here.

Mr Singh said his government has undertaken several initiatives for increasing the road length, which would provide greater connectivity besides boosting industrialisation and tourism in the state.

Plan allocation for roads and transport sector have been pegged at Rs 278 crore and automatic licensing scheme for all bus permits with 60 per cent of them in rural areas was one of the salient features of the budget, he said.

He said the government would fill 60 posts of horticulture development officers, 80 posts of horticulture development officers, 60 posts agriculture development officers and 160 posts of agriculture extension officers to strengthen horticulture and agricultural extension services in the state.

As far as education sector was concerned, the state government has opened a number of educational institutions and the government proposes to open a medical college in government sector at Mandi and one medical college in private sector at Hamirpur, he said.

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