Negligible rise in annual plan from Planning Com
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 21 June 2013 19:20 IST
CM Parrikar with PC Dy Chairman Ahluwalia
Goa got a negligible rise in its annual plan size from the Planning Commission this year, compared to record 42 per cent rise chief minister Manohar Parrikar had succeeded in getting last year.
Compared to Rs 4700 core last year, the annual plan for 2013-14 finalised today by the Planning Commission is hardly Rs 4715 crore –not even one per cent.
It includes Rs 225 crore as the central assistance while around Rs 100 crore would flow through various centrally sponsored schemes.
The total plan assistance from the centre, taking all resources, is thus expected to be over Rs 400 crore.
In a meeting held with Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, Parrikar also demanded one-time grant of Rs 3000 crore to compensate the people affected due to mining ban.
Last year was a jubilant moment for Goa as the annual plan size had jumped from Rs 3320 crore to Rs 4700 crore, a huge rise of 42 per cent.
Ahluwalia in fact had complemented Parrikar as a ‘hard task master.’
In his comments at today’s meeting, he appreciated Goa’s achievements in all sectors of the economy, terming it as an economically developed progressive State.
The deputy chairman also suggested encouraging private participation in the development of both social and physical infrastructure, especially with a renewed thrust in health and education.
He also asked Parrikar for continuous evaluation of the major social sector programmes so as to help Commission in having a realistic assessment and opportunity for timely intervention, wherever needed.
The Planning Commission also offered full support to the State in Solid Waste Management and efforts to make Goa plastic free.
“The State Government should make all kinds of efforts to cover all the urban areas with sewerage network using latest technology to achieve the goal of total sanitation and clean environment in the State”, said Ahluwalia.
He also complimented Goa for improvement in the Child-Sex ratio (0-6 years), stating that it would be put as one of the monitorable indicators in the 12th Five Year Plan.
Parrikar briefed the Commission on the performance of the State and pointed out that fiscal discipline has been encouraged while accelerating growth process.
Besides focus on social services, he said the state would continue focussing on tourism and related activities while also making Goa a state free of plastic and solid waste.
