Himachal Pradesh proposes budget of Rs 5,700 crore

Virbhadra Singh finds it necessary to conduct the social audit of all the new schemes and also for those being implemented.

Shimla, Jan 30: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Monday said a state annual plan of Rs 5,700 crore has been proposed for the next fiscal with an increase of Rs 500 crore over the present fiscal.

Presiding over a meeting of legislators here for finalising priorities for the 2016-17 budget, he said detailed project reports amounting to Rs 470 crore had been sanctioned through National Bank for Agriculture And Rural Developement (NABARD) for meeting out the priorities of the legislators.

He said project reports of Rs 1,100 crore were ready and forwarded to NABARD for sanction.

Singh said it was necessary to conduct the social audit of all the new schemes and also for those being implemented as it was important to know the reasons of delay in implementation, if any.

"It's easy to correct oneself at the very beginning rather than wasting time in mending the mistakes afterwards," he said.

He stressed the need to conduct social audit of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation Yojna being implemented in Shimla and Kullu towns, all skill development schemes and the Mukhya Mantri Start-Up Yojna in a time-bound manner.

Tourism, horticulture and hydro-power generation are major contributors to the state's economic development.

IANS