M A I N   N E W S

Haryana to get 12,000 cr for Tenth Plan
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 7
Haryana’s Tenth Five-Year-Plan (2002-2007) has been approved at Rs 12000 crore and the Annual Plan for 2002-2003 has been approved for Rs 2034 crore by the Planning Commission here today.

The Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Mr K.C. Pant had a meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala here today and the states’ Plan was discussed threadbare at the meeting.

The meeting was attended among others by Haryana Finance and Planning Minister Sampat Singh, Deputy Chairman State Planning Board Rajesh Sharma, Chief Secretary L.M. Goyal, Finance Secretary A.N. Mathur, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister M.K. Miglani, Planning Secretary Virendra Nath and other senior officers of the state government and the Planning Commission.

The outlay of Rs 12,000 crore approved for the Tenth Plan of Haryana is 50 per cent higher than the expenditure of Rs 8019.25 crore made during the Ninth Plan period. As approved by the Planning Commission, the state will continue to follow its usual Plan strategy of growth with social justice and welfare during the period.

Accordingly, highest priority has been accorded to the social services sector by allocating an outlay of Rs 5063 crore (42.2 per cent) for the old, handicapped, widows and destitutes. The second highest priority has been given to the development and improvement of irrigation, power, roads and road transport system in the state by allocating an outlay of Rs 4920 crore (41 per cent) for them.

The size of the state’s Annual Plan for 2002-03 has been approved at Rs 2034 crore. While distributing this outlay among various sectors, the highest priority has been given to the improvement of basic infrastructure of irrigation, power, roads and road transport by earmarking an amount of Rs 896.50 crore which is 44 per cent of the Plan outlay. Out of it, Rs 300 crore have been earmarked for the irrigation sector. While the power sector has been allotted an amount of Rs 261.5 crore and roads and road transport Rs 335 crore.

Improvement of social services of education, health services, drinking water supply, urban development and housing and promotion of social justice through pensions to the old, handicapped, widows and destitutes have been given the second-highest priority. Accordingly an outlay of Rs 740.9 crore has been kept for these services which is 36.4 per cent of the total Annual Plan outlay. Out of this outlay, an amount of Rs 308 crore has been kept for pensions to the old, handicapped, widows and destitutes. As many as Rs 146.55 crore have been earmarked for education, including technical and vocational education, and Rs 69.39 crore have been kept for health services and medical education. A sum of Rs 77 crore has been allocated for drinking water supply and sewerage schemes. An amount of Rs 67 crore has been allotted for housing and urban development.

An outlay of Rs 170.77 crore has been kept for agriculture and allied activities and rural development. An allocation of Rs 35.94 crore has been made for the special development of the most backward areas of Mewat and Shivalik.