Chhattisgarh Annual Plan finalised at Rs 7,413.72 cr

New Delhi, Mar 7 (UNI) The Annual Plan for Chhattisgarh for the year 2007-08 was today finalised at Rs 7,413.72 crore, which includes additional central assistance of Rs 35 crore for projects of special interest to the State.

The Plan size was fixed at a meeting in Yojna Bhavan between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Mr Ahluwalia said the Plan performance of the State was satisfactory. ''Serious and systematic effort is being made to ensure that growth is more inclusive. Performance in health and education was appreciable. Adequate emphasis is being given to social sectors and the State government is following guidelines issued by the Commission on Tribal Sub Plan and Scheduled Castes Sub Plan,'' Dr Ahuwalia said.

He said more districts from the State have been brought under the employment guarantee programme, which will go a long way in addressing the problem of unemployment among the poor.

Drawing attention to the problems of agriculture, the Plan Panel said greater emphasis should be on ensuring that funds allocated under accelerated irrigation benefit programme are utilised.

Watershed development needs focused attention.

While appreciating rehabilitation policy of the State Government, the Panel experts stated that in the process of industrialisation interests of Tribal population need to be protected. The State needs to create more awareness about HIV/AIDs, it said.

Mr Raman Singh said the State has inherited poor physical infrastructure. The road density was only 26 km per 100 sq km as against the All India average of 75 km. Rail connectivity was also about one third of national average. Forty nine per cent of hamlets' were still unelectrified and more than 46 per cent of the population was below the poverty line.

On economic performance, he said, for the four consecutive years positive Balance on Current Revenues (BCR) has been maintained.

He said 72 per cent of the plan outlay for the current financial year has been met from the State's own resources and the ratio of interest payments to total revenue receipts has come down to 9.08 from 15.74 in 2002-03.

Regarding social sector spending, Mr Raman Singh said RBI's survey of States' Budgets 2006-07 has ranked Chhattisgarh in the category of best performing States. Revenue deficit has been brought down to zero and fiscal deficit to GSDP ratio reduced to 3.03.

He said the focus of the government was on creating more opportunities for gainful employment and poverty reduction. As many as 98 per cent of children in the age group of 6 to 14 are in schools and drop out rate has declined to 11.65 per cent in 2006-07.

The Chief Minister said integrated Mega Steel Projects were being set up in most backward regions and 7500 MW additional power capacity was being created in the power sector.

Contract farming has been introduced and special area development authorities have been constituted for focused and accelerated development of tribal and remote areas, Mr Raman Singh said.

UNI