Efforts to utilise plan funds by UT Admn appreciated

Chandigarh, May 24 (UNI) The Planning Commission has appreciated the efforts of the Chandigarh Administration to utilise almost 100 per cent plan funds during tenth Five Year Plan period.

The Planning Commission also appreciated the new ongoing projects to be undertaken during current Annual Plan 2007 -08, with the objectives of boosting socio-economic growth of the region.

A meeting of the Working Group of the Planning Commission to finalise the Annual Plan 2007-08 of Chandigarh was held yesterday in New Delhi under the Chairanship of Senior Adviser, Manjulika Gautam.

The meeting was attended by Chandigarh Union Territory Finance Secretary S K Sandhu, Special Secretary (Finance) Raji P Shrivastava, Municipal Corporation Commissioner P S Aujla and other senior officers of the Chandigarh Administration.

Mr Sandhu informed that the total utilisation of Plan expenditure during tenth Five Year Plan was 99.9 per cent. The Administration, however, received Rs 35 Crore less than the tenth Plan allocation of Rs 1000 crore.

For the current Annual Plan 2007-08, the Administration had earlier projected an outlay of Rs 300 crore. The Ministry of Finance, however, finalised the plan ceiling of Rs 267.63 Crore for the financial year 2007-08.

Mr Sandhu said with the fiscal discipline imposed by the Union Territory Administration, the Administration has mobilised additional resources during last financial year and thereby achieved a surplus of Rs 463.24 crore (that is excess of revenue over non-plan expenditure) which is the highest ever.

In view of additional revenue generated, the administration required additional funds amounting to Rs 171.41 crore for implementing critical infrastructure, failing which there would be a setback to the development of Union Territory of Chandigarh.

UNI