Himachal fixes annual plan outlay at Rs.4,400 crore

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Tuesday said the state's 2014-15 annual plan outlay has been fixed at Rs.4,400 crore, Rs.300 crore more than that for 2013-14.

Presiding over a meeting of legislators convened here for finalising priorities for the annual plan, he said the state government has adopted the Congress state polls manifesto as its policy document to give fillip to overall development.

The state government would try to fund the priorities of the legislators first from grant-based schemes of the central government, and those not covered under this would be sent to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development for funding through loans, he said.

He said the state is consistently raising the issue of providing Himachal Pradesh equal share in all centrally-sponsored schemes on the pattern of northeastern states in the ratio of 90:10.

"I have personally requested the union finance minister to accede to our demand," he added.

Virbhadra Singh said vacant posts of teachers, doctors and para medical staff would be filled on priority.

He said connecting villages with roads and bridges is the top priority of the government and assured there would be no dearth of funds for this purpose.

A project would be prepared to channelise Pabbar river from Sandasali up to Hatkoti in Shimla district on the analogy of the Swan river, he added.

To check the menace of stray livestock, he said a micro chip would be fitted on them which would contain all the data of the owner of the animal.

Tourism, horticulture and hydropower generation are major contributors to Himachal Pradesh's economic development.