Naveen to meet Montek to finalise annual Plan

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik would call on Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Friday to finalise the State Plan for 2012-13.

“I’m going to have a meeting with the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission on May 4. This is annual meeting wherein the State Plan size for 2012-13 will be discussed,” Patnaik told news persons here.

Odisha has projected a State Plan of Rs 17,200 crore for the current fiscal. It is up to the Planning Commission to either enhance or scale down the size.

“The discussion will also focus on the state’s economy and its growth in key sectors like education, industries, health and infrastructure. Different departments of state government have given their inputs in this connection,” said a top official of planning & coordination department.

Besides, the talks between the chief minister and the Planning Commission will revolve around achievements of the Odisha government during the 11th Plan period (2007-12). The state will highlight improvement in spending levels during this period to justify its higher State Plan projection of Rs 17,200 crore for 2012-13 compared to Rs 15,200 crore in the previous fiscal.

Annual Plan allocations of Odisha have been substantially enhanced from Rs 5,520 crore in 2007-08 to Rs 17,200 crore in 2012-13.

The Plan expenditure during the first four years of the 11th Plan period has been Rs 31,501.90 crore. The state's overall expenditure is expected to overshoot the projected 11th Plan size of Rs 32,225 crore.

For 2011-12, government departments have clocked Plan and Non-Plan sending of 62.8 per cent till the end of January.

Of the State’s Plan size of Rs 15,200 crore for 2011-12, state's own funds stood at Rs 5,223.71 crore while its Budgetary borrowings were at Rs 3,780.74 crore. Central assistance in the form of grants and resources of public sector enterprises were pegged at Rs 4,195.55 crore and Rs 2000 crore respectively.