PlanComm seeks annual plan proposals from states, UTs

Planning Commission has sought proposal from states and union territories regarding their annual Plan for the current fiscal to enable the Centre to release funds for implementation.
The Commission has also asked the governments of states and union territories to closely monitor the implementation of the Plan programmes to achieve physical targets and ensure effective delivery of the schemes.
"...Requesting for proposals for an Annual Plan for 2014-15 for your state," said a letter written by Planning Secretary to Chief Secretaries of states.
The Commission, according to sources, has sought early response on the proposals as it would be become difficult for states to spend the allocated amount as per the expenditure guidelines of the Centre.

The guidelines provide that states cannot spend more than 33 per cent of the total allocated amount in the last quarter and 15 per cent in the last month of a financial year.
As per earlier practice, the annual Plans of states and UTs were decided after meeting concerned Chief Ministers with the Deputy Chairman of the Commission.

However, as the Commission has not been constituted, the exercise of the finalisation of annual Plans is being completed by officials of the Plan panel.
The Union Budget 2014-15 after the elections has pegged the Plan expenditure at Rs 5.75 lakh crore for the current fiscal. The Plan expenditure includes total central assistance for state and union territory Plans of Rs 3.38 lakh crore.

Although the funds are earmarked in the Budget, the money is released after finalisation of Annual Plan of the states and Union Territories.
The communication said: "...The proposal (mentioned in the budget) already contains the states' share...Which has perhaps been approved by the state legislature, the total amount (state and centre share) has to been appropriately shown in your scheme of financing 2014-15 for 66 centrally sponsored schemes."
In case of the special category states, the letter said that special Plan assistance would be examined by the officer concerned in the Commission after the information is uploaded on the CAS-MIS portal.

Under the CAS-MIS, government has automated whole cycle of processes involved in disbursement of Additional Central Assistance (ACA) and Special Plan Assistance (SPA) from Ministry of Finance to various states.
The application has been developed with the objective to make web enabled automation of various processes and workflow involved in disbursement of Central Assistance which includes Additional Central Assistance and Special Plan Assistance from Ministry of Finance to various state.
The system has a three tier structure, involving processes at state level, Planning Commission and Ministry of Finance.