State achieves 112% of plan target of 11th Plan

The Karnataka government has achieved its plan targets fixed in the 11th Five-Year Plan and the state’s plan size is getting larger every year, although the proportion of Central assistance to the state plan has been declining over the years. Against the 11th Plan allocation of Rs 1,01, 664 crore, the anticipated expenditure is likely to be Rs 1,14,005 crore, an achievement of 112 per cent.

“Though the state is known as forward-looking, progressive and strongly development-oriented and registered an average growth rate of about 7.5 per cent of GSDP in the last few years, it continues to be in the league of middle income states. This is because of the existence of considerable intra-regional disparities,” Dr V S Acharya, minister for planning and statistics, said.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the regional consultation of Planning Commission with southern states on the Approach Paper to the 12th Five Year Plan, here on Friday, he said the state is implementing a Special Development Plan spanning eight years, from 2007-08, based on the recommendations of the high power committee for redressal of regional imbalances. The state is providing an additional allocation of Rs 16,000 crore over and above the normal allocation to the identified backward taluks to bring them on a par with the developed taluks, he said.

In line with the recent independent Evaluation Initiative of the Planning Commission, Karnataka has proposed a Karnataka Evaluation Authority. The objective is to undertake impartial assessment of various public programmes and improve the effectiveness of public intervention, he said.

In order to improve implementation of all the schemes and programmes of the government, the state government has introduced a Monthly Programme Implementation Calendar (MPIC) for each plan and non-plan scheme. The MPIC sets out details of steps to be taken at the state, district and taluk levels for effective implementation of Plan non-Plan schemes from the very beginning of the financial year, he said.