The Annual Plan for Gujarat for the year 2006-07 was
finalized at a meeting, here today, between the Deputy
Chairman Planning Commission, Shri Montek Singh
Ahluwalia and the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri
Narendra Modi. Plan size for the current year was
agreed at Rs. 12503.50 crores. This includes
additional Central assistance of Rs.80 crores for
projects of special importance to the State.
Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, complimented the
State for growth performance, realization of
expenditure during the Tenth Plan, reducing
non-development expenditure while improving on
development expenditure. He said during the last four
years State has performed satisfactorily in
agriculture, industry and services sectors. He said
during the recent past agriculture growth in the
country has not been very encouraging and Gujarat's
achievement of 15.5 per cent growth in the last four
years is commendable.
While appreciating the State's efforts aimed at
creating investor friendly environment, he said public
/ private partnership needs to be encouraged in all
sectors, particularly in the infrastructure sector.
Attention was drawn to the social indicators of the
State not being comparable to the economic growth
trend. Integration of development of forests and
backward pockets with the overall development strategy
of the State was recommended. It was also suggested
that efforts to bring down T & D losses should
continue.
The Chief Minister said that the State was on way to
record 100 per cent realization of Plan expenditure
for the Tenth Plan. Because of the fiscal discipline
and progressive policies of the State government, per
capita income has gone up from Rs.13321 in 2001-02 to
Rs.16878 in 2004-05, which was much higher than the
national average of Rs.12416 in 2004-05. He said
during the last four years revenue receipts have gone
up by 60 per cent while revenue expenditure grew only
by 16 per cent. Non-development expenditure during the
last three years has been brought down from Rs.23626
crores to Rs.14828 crores. During the same period
development expenditure has jumped from Rs.16321
crores to Rs.20283 crores.
He said Centre should take all States into confidence
before constituting Sixth Pay Commission and limited
resources of States should be analyzed while
constituted the new commission. Pointing out that the
implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission resulted in
50 to 60 per cent increase in States non-developmental
expenditure.
He said Gujarat has decided to extend benefits of
e-governance right up to the village level and 5875
Gram Panchayats have been provided with compute
hardware and software. A tourism policy has been
declared and the year 2006 is being celebrated as
tourism year. Plan provision for tourism is being
enhanced to Rs.100 crores. As part of urban sector
reforms model municipal laws, modern accounting
system, levy of user charges in various services and public / private partnership have been initiated.
NNK : RK
(Release ID :16966)