MP plan size pegged at Rs 19,000 cr

Announcing an additional central support of Rs 70 crore, the Planning Commission has pegged annual plan of the state at Rs 19,000 crore, up 17.4 per cent from Rs 16,174 crore of the previous year. The Commission, however, according to a state government spokesperson, has turned down additional demand of rural roads under the Prime Minister Rural Road Scheme.

State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who called on vice-chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia the other day, demanded Rs 5,500 crore to implement Right to Education and Rs 5,000 crore for feeder separation scheme to ensure round-the-clock power supply to agri as well as domestic consumers. He also demanded to declare Narmada-Kshipra linking project a national project and ensure additional grant for the scheme. Further he demanded Rs 550 crore for nutrition programmes and Rs 2,750 crore for developing 50,000 Anganwari houses, for rural women.

The annual plan includes Rs 6,698 crore for various social sector schemes, Rs 2,754 crore for flood relief, Rs 2,214 crore for transportation, Rs 1659 crore for agriculture and allied activities, Rs 1,608 crore for power sector improvement, Rs 1,988 crore for rural development, Rs 1,711 crore for special sector, Rs 659 crore for public economic upliftment, Rs 315 crore for mining activity, Rs 159 crore for general services and Rs 60 crore for science, technology and environment projects.

“The annual plan for 2010-11 includes tribal sub-plan of Rs 4236 crore, which constitutes 22.50 per cent while schedule case sub-plan includes Rs 3,100 crore that is 16.52 per cent of the total plan outlay,” a government spokesperson said.

Madhya Pradesh is demanding price based royalty for its coal production and supply of coal from own mines. “We are supplied coals from other states and in poor quality and quantity thus we are facing coal shortage and our power plant are not attaining proper load factor. Our demand is not being considered at the Planning Commission despite our oft-repeated request.”

Madhya Pradesh has also demanded a new rehabilitation policy to pay Rs 5 lakh per acre for the farmers in various projects, and additional grant for women empowerment projects.