Efforts to utilize plan funds by UT Admn. appreciated

Chandigarh, May 24 (UNI) The Planning Commission has appreciated the efforts of the Chandigarh Administration to utilize almost 100 per cent plan funds during 10th 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 finalize the Annual Plan 2007-08 of Chandigarh was held yesterday at New Delhi under the Chairpersonship of Senior. Adviser, Mrs 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 utilization of Plan expenditure during 10th Five Year Plan was 99.9 per cent. The Administration however, received Rs 35.00 Crore less than the 10th Plan allocation of Rs 1000.00 crore.

For the current Annual Plan 2007-08, the Administration had earlier projected an outlay of Rs 300.00 crore. The Ministry of Finance, however, finalized the plan ceiling of Rs 267.63 Crore for the financial year 2007-08.

Mr Sandhu said that with the fiscal discipline imposed by the Union Territory Administration, the Administration has mobilized 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 set back to the development of Union Territory of Chandigarh.

UNI