Himachal's 2008-09 annual plan fixed at Rs 2,400 cr

New Delhi, Feb 13 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh's Annual Plan for 2008-2009 was today fixed at Rs 2,400 crore-- Rs 300 crore more than the last Plan size-- with Rs 818 crore allocated for the social service sector.

The Plan was fixed at a meeting between Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Energy sector gets Rs 329 crore, transport and communications Rs 374 crore, irrigation and flood control Rs 296 crore, agriculture and allied sector Rs 251 crore, rural development Rs 116 crore and general economic services Rs 87 crore.

Mr Dhumal said Shahnehar, Sidhatha, Changer and Balh Valley irrigations projects would be completed during the 11th Five Year Plan.

He said Rs 130 crore had been earmarked for the time-bound construction of the projects.

The Chief Minister said 41 per cent of the existing hydel potential would be tapped during the 11th Plan.

He said a target had been fixed to achieve 1.64 million tonnes of foodgrain production, 1.14 million tonne of vegetable production, 875,000 tonnes of milk production and 777,000 tonnes of mushroom production during the current Plan.

Pointing out that the State was losing Rs 1,600 crore annually due to non-allocation of its due power share in various centrally-executed hydel projects such as Bhakra Dam, Beas-Satluj link and Pong Dam, Mr Dhumal asked Mr Ahluwalia to help the State in getting its due share.

UNI YJ BJR BD1842