Assam's annual plan outlay for this fiscal fixed at Rs. 9,000 cr

Assam’s annual plan outlay for the fiscal 2011-12 has been fixed at Rs. 9,000 crore. The amount was finalised at a meeting between the deputy chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Tarun Gogoi, chief minister of Assam on Tuesday in New Delhi. The annual plan outlay for Assam for the year 2011-12 has been an increase of Rs. 1,355 crore as the last annual plan outlay was Rs. 7,645 crore.

Out of Rs. 9,000 crore, Rs. 6,286 crore would be central assistance and Rs. 2.714 crore would be from state’s own resources. The Central special plan assistance has been doubled from Rs. 400 crore last year to Rs. 800 crore.

Gogoi said that the state government has given major thrust to education, human resource development, capacity building and skill development to generate more employment opportunities, strengthening of healthcare facilities, rural development, rural marketing, power generation and transmission during 2010-11.

He said that special focus would be given to the agriculture sector and that new schemes were being introduced to popularise better technologies in farming. 

“The plan size so decided and priorities approved by the Planning Commission would be give further boost to the economic growth rate in the state,” Gogoi said.  

“Focussed attention to education, health and agriculture sectors has started showing results in the state,” said Gogoi.  He added that various initiatives taken by state government in recent years have led to the creation of public-private-partnerships (PPP), thus creating an environment for rapid industrialisation and creation of physical infrastructure in Assam.  

“The State was making appreciable effort to improve growth and focus on agriculture with the objective of achieving self sufficiency in food,” said Ahluwalia. He said Assam needs to improve focus on industry sector and encourage private partnership.