Gujarat annual plan 2006-07 finalized

for Planning Commission | Date - 03-04-2006


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)

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