The annual Plan for Mizoram for 2010-11 was on Monday pegged at Rs. 1,500 crore at a meeting here between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and State Chief Minister Lalthanhawla. This includes an additional Central assistance of Rs. 70 crore for priority projects.
Lauding Mizoram's performance while initiating discussions on the Plan size for the new fiscal, Mr. Ahluwalia pointed to the need to involve the private sector in the State's infrastructure development and noted that additional funding would be provided to the hill State as per the award of the Thirteenth Finance Commission. He also asked the State government to focus on development of sectors such as horticulture, fisheries and forestry.
Mr. Ahluwalia also asked the State government to impose user charges and raise tax and non-tax revenue as the GSDP – tax ratio was low.
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Briefing the Commission on Mizoram's Plan performance and achievements during the year, Mr Lalthanhawla said that government was making all efforts to involve the private sector in infrastructure development even as the State is faced with problems owing to vocational disadvantages.
The policy of the State government, he said, would be to take up as many projects as possible under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The Chief Minister requested the Planning Commission to provide special Central assistance for completion of on-going projects, especially the Rajiv Gandhi sports complex.