The annual Plan outlay of Himachal Pradesh for 2012-13 has been fixed at Rs 3,700 crore, which is 12.12 per cent higher than that of this fiscal.
The annual Plan was finalised at a meeting of the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, with the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, here today. The state’s annual Plan for 2011—12 was Rs 3,300 crore.
Mr Dhumal said the general plan, scheduled caste sub-plan, tribal area sub-plan and backward area sub-plan have been finalised at Rs 2,427.36 crore, Rs 914.64 crore, Rs 333 crore and Rs 25 crore respectively.
The Chief Minister said social services have been given highest priority with allocation of Rs 1,189.56 crore (32.15 per cent). It is followed by transport and communications, energy, agriculture and allied sectors with allocations of Rs 778.76 crore (21.05 per cent), Rs 581.92 crore (15.73 per cent) and Rs 480 crore (12.98 per cent) respectively.
Mr Dhumal said the Plan allocation for agriculture is 12.98 per cent, which is almost double the national average of 5-6 per cent and demanded that the State be exempted from formula-based allocation and provided Rs 130 crore under RKVY for 2012-13.
He stated that the State has achieved an annual growth rate of 8.1 per cent during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-2012) which is higher than the national growth rate of 7.9 per cent.
He said the State’s estimated growth rate for 2011-12 is 7.6 per cent against the national growth rate of 6.9 per cent during the year.
He said that for the last two years, the State’s performance in all the items of 20-point programmes has been categorised as “very good” by the Government of India and claimed that the State’s indicators in education and health sectors are amongst the best in the country.