Rs 13,640cr 9th Plan Outlay For Orissa

The Orissa government has projected Rs 13,640 crore as the ninth plan outlay for the state.

The outlay for 1997-98, the first year of the ninth plan, will be finalised when Chief Minister J B Patnaik meets planning commission deputy chairman Madhu Dandavate at New Delhi on January 20.

Although the state government has proposed an outlay of Rs 2,187 crore for the annual plan, sources said, it may be raised during talks with the planning commission.

Orissas total outlay for the eighth plan was Rs 10,000 crore. In real terms, however, the state is likely to have an expenditure of Rs 7,200 crore.

So the projected size of the ninth plan is almost double the actual achievement of the eight plan.

The Centre has advised all the state governments to keep their outlay projections within 35 per cent of the figures achieved in the eighth plan.

During the first four years of the eighth plan, the expenditure was Rs 4998.21 crore, which was about 50 per cent of the total outlay.

The outlay for last year (1996-97) was Rs 2201.17 crore. It is, however, not clear how much of the projected target would be achieved by March end.

Official sources said only 50 per cent of the outlay has been utilised by November end.

Given the states inability to mobilise adequate internal resources, the actual achievement will again fall short of the projected target in the current year.

The outlay for the current year (1996-97) is dependent on outside borrowings and disinvestment in public sector Orissa Power Generation Corporation (OPGC) of Rs 300 crore.

But with the prevailing dull market conditions, fears have been expressed that the state may not be able to raise resources at the beginning of the year.

During the ninth plan, energy and irrigation will get the maximum priority with seven-point minimum needs programme like drinking water and education.