New Delhi/Srinagar,July 13 (Scoop News) -The Planning Commission of India today approved highest ever Rs. 7300 crore Annual Plan for Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2012-13. It also approved Rs. 700 crore PMRP. The Commission broadly endorsed the priorities of the State Government reflected under the Twelth Five Year Plan (TFPY). The Planning Commission has agreed to provide additional Central resources of Rs. 6384 crore – Rs. 4400 crore as a Special Central Assistance (SCA) and Rs. 1984 crore as Special Plan Assistance (SPA) to finance the approved Annual Plan.
The approval was given at a meeting between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah led State team and Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India here this afternoon. J&K Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rahter, Minister of State for Planning, Dr. Manohar Lal, Members of Planning Commission of India, J&K Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal, Principal Secretary Planning, B. B. Vyas and various Administrative Secretaries were present in the meeting.
Making a strong case for enhanced financial support to Jammu and Kashmir State under the Twelfth five year plan (TFYP) and Annual Plan 2012-13, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah underlined the importance of this support for inclusive and broad based development of the State to build on peace dividends and reach out to people in all regions and sub-regions of the State equitably.
In the presentation made at the meeting with Planning Commission of India, the J&K Chief Minister threw light on remarkable landmarks achieved by the coalition government in last over three years despite various challenges on law and order front and said that empowered panchayats and democratically elected urban local bodies will be the main vehicles of delivery of plan objectives.
On Plan performance, Omar Abdullah said that Jammu and Kashmir has achieved growth at 6.78 percent in 2011-12 as compared to 6.63 percent in the year 2010-11. He said that tax growth has been 34 percent last year. The average annual growth across the plan period was of the order of 6.20 percent. He said delivery across Eleventh Five Year Plan (EFPY) has been around 95 percent while the expenditure under the last year’s plan stood at 96.58 percent.
Omar Abdullah said that outcomes during EFYP period have been extremely encouraging particularly in the social sector. The Chief Minister substantiated his statement with facts and figures. He observed that female literacy rate has increased by 15 percent while enrolment in higher education has increased from 0.95 lakhs in 2007-08 to 1.19 lakhs in 2011-12.
On Twelfth Five Year Plan projections, the Chief Minister said that focus has been concentrated on accelerated and sustained growth in economy, development of employment linkage, consolidation of infrastructure, empowerment of people, reduction in wastages, building human and institutional capacities and skill development. He said to achieve the realistic growth rate of 7.5 percent productive sectors have been flagged as an important concerns. He said private and public investment in the infrastructure sector making growth inclusive through special component plans, conservation of ecology and environment, upgrading production and marketing of local products through design improvement technology and market interventions and special employment initiatives for gainful employment to youth are other areas of attention.
Omar Abdullah said that time bound completion of power projects to ensure additional power generation of 3100 MWs and reduction of AT&C losses by 25 percent has been made the benchmark in power sector.
The Chief Minister said that all habitations with 250 population will be covered by roads, all children in the age group of 6-14 to be enrolled in schools, 36.8 lakh persons to be provided 100 day employment under MGNREGA besides creating 6.40 lakh job opportunities for youth through various plan initiatives.