The Hindu : Front Page : State to seek increase in Plan size for 2006-07

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Thursday, Dec 22, 2005

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State to seek increase in Plan size for 2006-07

Special Correspondent

Team to meet Montek Singh Ahluwalia on January 13

GULBARGA: Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh said on Wednesday that the State Government has decided to seek an increase in the annual Plan size from Rs. 13,556 crores this year to Rs. 15,000 crores for 2006-07.

Mr. Singh told presspersons here that he and Finance Minister P.G.R. Sindhia and senior officials of the State Government will meet Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi on January 13 and present the State's case. He said the State Government will retain the outlay on priority areas such as power, irrigation and agriculture.

In the next Plan proposals it will lay stress on the social sector to extend additional benefits and welfare programmes to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward classes and on infrastructure development.

The Chief Minister said Dr. Ahluwalia, during his recent visit to Bangalore, expressed satisfaction over the efforts to improve infrastructure in Bangalore city.

Dr. Ahluwalia had said that the Planning Commission will come out with new proposals for the overall development of the State and infrastructure development in Bangalore.

Mr. Dharam Singh said he has held preliminary discussions on next year's Plan proposals with the Finance Minister and the senior officials of the Government and directed them to prepare a proposal to be presented before the Planning Commission with details about the increased resource mobilisation and achievements under the current Plan.

Before the meeting with the Planning Commission, another meeting of senior officials and the Finance Minister will be held in Bangalore to give final touches to the proposals.

A proposal for completing ongoing and pending irrigation projects will be included in the presentation to be made to the Planning Commission.

The Chief Minister said the State Government will urge the Planning Commission to make a higher allocation so that farmers can be provided loans at a subsidised interest rate from nationalised banks.

At present, farmers are being given loans by cooperative societies at six per cent interest.

This has benefited more than 6.75 lakh farmers and the Government has made a provision of Rs. 80 crores in this year's budget for the scheme.

He said during the discussions with the Planning Commission,he will raise the issue of clearance for the metro rail in Bangalore.

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