Nagaland Annual Plan 2009-10 Finalized

The Annual Plan outlay for Nagaland for the year 2009-10 was approved today at a meeting between the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister of Nagaland, Shri Neiphiu Rio. The Annual Plan size was agreed at Rs.1500 crores.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Ahluwalia complimented the State for plan performance. He said against a growth target of 5.56 per cent for the Tenth Plan, the State achieved 7.5 per cent. In agriculture, road communication and connectivity, education, health care, and water supply is satisfactory. He said Planning Commission would review the plan size after the presentation of the full budget by the new Government. He said the problem of financial burden to the State because of pending pay revision would be dealt separately.

Appreciating the effort of the State in infrastructure development, he said the Commission has also laid special emphasis on infrastructure development in North East during the 11th plan period. He said 83 per cent of the villages are now connected with fair weather roads and 95 per cent of the villages have been electrified. All villages have primary schools and middle school for every cluster of four to five villages. The State government was asked to improve focus on social sector.

The Chief Minister informed the Commission that during next year major focus would be on the implementation of Central schemes including Swaranjayanti Gram Swrozgar Yojana, Indira Awas Yojana, Grant-in-aid to VDBs, Micro-Financing through VDBs, and Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF). He pointed out that 640 lakh men-days of employment would be generated under NREGS.

He said North Eastern States in general and Nagaland in particular has started feeling the effect of down turn and pointed out that Government’s initiatives to stimulate economy were not reaching them.

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NNK/RK