Panel Nod To Rs 12,330 Cr Maharashtra Plan Outlay

The Planning Commission yesterday approved the Plan outlay for Maharashtra for the year 2000-01 at Rs 12,330 crore. Of this, the Commission has pegged the core plan, based on the identifiable resources at present, at Rs 11,500 crore. The gap of Rs 830 crore would be filed through additional resource mobilisation by the state.

The state has achieved an impressive annual growth rate of 7.1 per cent in 1999-2000 and its resource mobilisation has been 65 per cent of the Ninth Plan projections during the first three years of the Plan, said Planning Commission deputy chairman K C Pant. However, the state has not been able to adhere to the projected structure of financing which envisaged a 3 per cent of the resources as the state's own funds, 57 per cent as the state's own borrowings and about 40 per cent as central assistance, he added.

 

The state's borrowings have exceeded total resource mobilisation during the three years leading to interest liability going up from 16 per cent in 1997-98 to 23 per cent in the budget estimates of the current year, he further said.

At the meeting, the state's attention was specifically drawn to the deteriorating health of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board which has reported a net loss of Rs 960.26 crore. The MSEB had a net commercial profit of Rs 160.36 crore without subsidy in 1998-99. MSRTC is also showing increasing losses. Estimates for the current financial year show a loss of Rs 353.58 crore against Rs 169.64 crore in 1997-98.

Of the total Plan size, the largest block of Rs 3,964 crore has gone to irrigation and flood control, Rs 2,586 crore has been given for social and community services and Rs 894 crore for rural development. Power development has been given Rs 1,870 crore.

At the meeting the Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh sought special central assistance of Rs 1,350 crore per year for Mumbai city for the next 10 years, keeping in mind the needs of the city which caters to a large migrant population. He also asked for a one-time assistance to tide over the water scarcity crises and the Kumbh Mela to be held in Nashik in 2003-04. Central government assistance was also requested for tourism development and the special action plan for the naxalite affected areas of Maharashtra.

Deshmukh also met Union minister for civil aviation Sharad Yadav yesterday. Briefing the media, Deshmukh said that he raised the issue of setting up of an airport at Rewas Mandwa and asked for a quick clearance of the project. He also said that Yadav assured him that clearance would be given to the proposals for airports at Sirdi and Purulia. Yadav assured the minister that the proposal to upgrade the Nagpur airport to an international airport is under consideration.