Naveen okays enhanced 12th Plan outlay at Rs 1.24 lakh cr

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved an enhanced outlay of Rs 1.24 lakh crore for the 12th Plan period (2012-17).

The key sectors identified under the 12th Plan are agriculture, irrigation, handloom, infrastructure, health, education and poverty alleviation.

Odisha aims to grow at nine per cent during the 12th Plan period).

In the 11th Plan (2007-12), the Odisha's gross state domestic product (GSDP) grew at 8.23 per cent.

Meanwhile, the state government was in the process of sending the 12th Plan document to the Centre.

Ahead of submission of the document to the Centre, the department of planning & coordination had urged all administrative departments to submit their respective reports for compilation of the 12th Plan.

The 12th Plan would include an account of major schemes with projected outlays and physical targets.

Among the projects to be included under the 12th Plan is the Rs 10,000-crore capacity expansion plan of the state owned Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC).

The power generation utility aimed to add two 660 MW units to its 420 MW power station at Banharpalli near Jharsuguda.

The expansion work was slated to be commissioned by 2016-17. The Manoharpur and dip side of Manoharpur coal blocks allocated to OPGC were to meet the coal requirement of the expansion plan.

Besides, the projects to be taken up under the Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) to be set up on 284.15 sq km (70,214 acres) of land spread over Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts are likely to be included under 12th Plan.

The PCPIR hub is expected to attract investments to the tune of Rs 2.74 lakh crore.

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), the anchor tenant for the PCPIR hub, is building a 15 million tonne per annum (mtpa) refinery at an investment of Rs 55,000 crore.

The state government had also pitched for inclusion of National Waterway (NW)-5 taken up at a cost of Rs 4210 crore under the12th Plan. The inland water transport project is planned along the east coast canal and Brahmani-Kharsua river system.

The NW-5 will provide an alternative mode of transportation from coal mines and other industries of Odisha to Paradip, Dhamara and Haldia ports.

The project was declared the NW-5 by the Government of India on November 25, 2008.