Date:15/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/15/stories/2007031512350400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Social sector gets lion's share in Plan outlay

Nagesh Prabhu

It has got 34.41 per cent of the total Plan outlay of Rs. 17,782 crore

BANGALORE: The social sector has received top priority in the annual Plan outlay approved by the Planning Commission for the financial year (2007-08) for Karnataka. The sector alone has accounted for Rs. 6,081.52 crore (34.41 per cent) of the total Plan outlay of Rs. 17,782 crore.

However, the allocation for education has been pruned to Rs. 1,001.21 crore for 2007-08 as against Rs. 1,283.72 crore for 2006-07, a reduction of Rs. 282.51 crore, with general education being the biggest causality.

However, technical education and sports-cum-youth services have bagged a slightly higher outlay.

The outlay for the social sector is increased from Rs. 5,744.73 crore in 2006-07 to Rs. 6,081.52 crore in 2007-08. Among the 14 categories that comprise the social sectors, over 30 per cent of the outlay has been set aside for housing, education, water supply and sanitation. The outlay for social sector has been increased at the expense of allocations for the irrigation sector.

This is because a large number of projects coming under the Upper Krishna Project are nearing completion, official sources told The Hindu.

A sum of Rs. 1,034.75 crore has been set aside for water supply and sanitation, Rs. 669.62 crore for housing, Rs. 562.99 crore for development of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other backward classes, Rs 1,001.21 crore for education, Rs. 375.52 crore for medical education and health and Rs. 42.30 crore for labour and employment, according to the Plan document of the Government.

Despite a marked increase of about 10 per cent over the outlay for the current financial year, the allocations for major and medium irrigation has been reduced for 2007-08 to Rs. 3,491.01 crore from Rs. 3,774.14 crore in 2006-07.

A marginal increase in allocations for minor irrigation and command area development and a reduction in the allocation for flood control takes the outlay for irrigation sector in the coming fiscal year to Rs. 4,053.81 crore, 22.80 per cent of the total Plan size.

In the inter-sectoral plan allocations, the energy sector has received a huge 12.45 per cent of total Plan outlay with an allocation of Rs. 2,214.63 crore as compared to Rs. 1,721.35 crore in 2006-07.

The transport sector, including construction of roads and bridges and road transport, accounted for 13.86 per cent share of the total outlay at Rs. 2,465.21 crore against Rs. 1,966.34 crore in 2006-07, an increase of Rs. 498.87 crore.

The total allocations for the agricultural sector and allied activities is Rs. 826.74 crore, accounting for 4.65 per cent of the annual plan outlay for the coming year.