Himachal seeks Special Plan Assistance from PlanComm

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today requested the Planning Commission to give liberal Special Plan Assistance to the state and follow a uniform pattern of grant in aid (90:10) for funding all the central sponsored schemes.
Singh, who returned here today after meeting Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, said he has strongly raised the issue of special assistance for reconstruction under disaster mitigation programme on analogy of Uttarakhand.
The fund would be required for reconstruction of roads, health institutions, water supply, irrigation and reclamation of agricultural land, etc, as Himachal has also suffered heavy losses estimated at Rs 2934 crore due to untimely heavy rains during monsoon, he added.

Raising concern on the existence of different pattern of funding under various centrally sponsored schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid-Day Meal and National Rural Literacy Mission, Singh requested that all the centrally sponsored schemes be funded in the ratio of 90:10 and same pattern be followed for all the special category hilly states.
The Chief Minister also raised the issue of removing ban on commercial exploitation of Khair trees on government land, whereas individuals have been permitted to sell the Khair extract (Katha) on their private land.
"Due to this ban, a large number of trees go waste resulting in the loss of potential revenue to the state," he added.