Assam's annual plan outlay fixed at Rs 12,500 cr
Assam's annual plan outlay for the fiscal 2013-14 has been fixed at Rs 12,500 cr, a Rs 2,000 cr increase from last year's Rs 10,500 cr
The state's annual plan outlay was fixed at a meeting between Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi and deputy chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, at New Delhi yesterday.
Gogoi said though utilisation of plan fund had gone up from 78 per cent during 10th Five Year Plan to 86 per cent in 11th Five Year Plan, it went down to 75 per cent during first year of 12th plan due to due to unprecedented floods, problem of ethnic riots and implementation of model code of conduct in panchayat elections.The Gogoi urged the Planning Commission to streamline fund release under Central Earmarked Schemes and under Special Assistance (SPA). "I propose to introduce quarterly phasing of plan expenditure from the year 2013-14 to ensure full utilisation of plan fund," he added.
"We cannot afford to be complacent about our past achievements but traverse a good deal more to fulfil our vision. Development in all sectors backed by a strong sense of security with improved law and order is my mantra for progress. We want to focus on areas of Green Economy with sustainable growth, skill development, floods and erosion, education with employment generation, health and social welfare with emphasis on marginalized sections," Gogoi said.Ahluwalia said the performance of the state had been "impressive in sectors like agriculture, infrastructure development, health and education". "The state government deserves appreciation for the impressive performance in the agriculture sector and in improving the key parameters insofar as reduction of infant mortalxity rate and maternal mortality rate is concerned."
Ahluwaila said he would be keen to organise a major conference in association with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Guwahati in November this year in which ambassadors and experts from South East Asia, Singapore and other countries would take part. "The conference would highlight the infrastructure development that have taken place in the past ten years in Assam and the changes that would usher in the next four-five years to attract investments in a big way," he said. Ahluwalia also requested Gogoi to extend support to the Lower Subansiri hydro electric project, which had been hanging fire for past couple of years due to widespread opposition in the state.