Rs. 7,250 Annual Plan for State

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 20. The 2000- 2001 Annual Plan for Karnataka has been finalised at Rs. 7,250 crores, slightly lower than the State's budgeted Plan size of Rs. 7,274 crores. The decision was taken at a meeting here between the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr. K. C. Pant, and the State Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna.

According to information given out by the Karnataka Government, this latest Plan represents an increase of almost 40 per cent over the Plan expenditure of 1999-2000. The State Government also said that the Planning Commission originally indicated a Plan size of Rs. 6,000 crores but the Chief Minister urged the commission to allocate additional resources for rural infrastructure, major irrigation projects, water supply schemes, housing and slum development. Accordingly, the commission raised the allocation, based on the submission of the State Government.

During the discussions, Mr. Pant appreciated Karnataka's performance in expenditure management by pointing out that in the first two years of the Ninth Plan period, the State's Plan expenditure was more than the approved Plan outlay. He, however, expressed concern at the increasing dependence on borrowings to finance Plan expenditure.

The Deputy Chairman also pointed out that the State needed to take effective measures to ensure sustainable development of groundwater. Also, there had been a decline in acceptors of family planning methods and coverage of immunisation was progressively decreasing. The State was asked to pay special attention to the population stabilisation programme.

Mr. Krishna, in his presentation, stated that the administration had identified education, housing and irrigation as thrust areas for improving the socio-economic standards of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe population. About 40 per cent of the Plan expenditure would be earmarked for irrigation, 10 per cent for power generation and another 10 per cent for agriculture, rural development and special areas programmes. He said the human development report of the State would pave the way for evaluating existing policies in the social sector and for evolving new schemes to ensure balanced development.

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Section  : Southern States
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