The Annual Plan for Jharkhand for 2012-13 has been finalised at Rs 16,300 crore. The Plan size was fixed after a meeting between Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister, Arjun Munda.
Briefing the Commission, the Chief Minister said during the 12th Plan, the State’s focus would be on making the benefits reach the deprived sections. The emphasis would be on infrastructure development with private participation. Efforts will also be made to reduce gaps in health care and education.
Arjun Munda said the Centre should help the State Government in overcoming infrastructure deficits and high cost of law and order maintenance. He said despite efforts, around 35 lakh families were still below poverty line.
He said Jharkhand was aiming 10 per cent growth in the 12th Plan to double per capita income by 2016-17. Agriculture growth would be targeted at 6.5 per cent while industrial growth at 12.5 per cent. The State would aim at creating 2.12 million additional jobs, he added.
The Plan panel deputy said the focus of the State during the 12th Plan should be on catching up with the rest of country in human development indices while continuing efforts to create an investment-friendly environment. He said the Commission would like to go into the causes of delays in getting clearances of development projects and requested the State Government to send a note on its irrigation and agriculture projects that were not taking off because of delay in environment and forest clearances.