Agriculture sector not given due importance in Annual Plan: NCP

Dehra Dun, June 25 (UNI) Uttarakhand Unit of Nationalists Congress Party today expressed its dissent towards Annual Plan outlay for Uttarakhand for not giving required importance to the agricultural sector.

NCP State Chief Suryakant Dhasmana told reporters here today that only a hike of .76 per cent has been made in the 2007-08 plan.

He disclosed that in 2006-07 Plan the amount was Rs 37040.36 lakh.

For 2007-08 Plan it has been increased to just Rs 37,116 lakh.

Expressing his dissatisfaction in the outlay for irrigation sector, Mr Dhasmana said though only five per cent of the total agricultural land was irrigated, unfortunately Rs 183 crore has been slashed in this sector in the Annual Plan. ''Agriculture is one of the main occupation in the state and it has not been given required importance in the plan,'' he said.

Mr Dhasmana not satisfied over the increase of Rs 18 crore for Health Sector in the Plan said there was lot of room for the improvement in the health sector as none of the government hospitals in the state have advanced medical equipment and state was running short of MBBS doctors. He said ''70 per cent of the dispensaries in the state were without MBBS doctors and many hospitals do not have even CT Scanners and MRIs''. He also added that so far not a single booklet on Annual Plan has been released by the government.

''Planning sector in the state is in very bad shape and Chief Minister should give heed to it'', he asserted, adding that the Annual Plan was chalked out sitting in front of laptops far from real conditions.

UNI