The Planning Commission today approved Orissa's plan outlay of Rs 15,200 crore for 2011-12.
The approval follows the meeting of the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, in New Delhi.
"The State Plan of Rs 15,200 crore for 2011-12 has been approved by the Planning Commission. The amount will be spent on several sectors including agriculture, irrigation, education, health and social infrastructure”, Patnaik told media persons after the meeting.
Ahluwalia said, “The performance of Orissa has been very good in the area of economic reforms”.
Patnaik sought expeditious approval of an eight-Year Perspective Plan of Rs 4,550 crore for development of the KBK (Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput)region of the state, prepared in consultation with Planning Commission. He also requested for appropriate modifications in the guidelines for the restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme (APDRP-II) to ensure that states like Orissa, which pioneered Power Sector Reforms, also benefit.
This apart, the Orissa Chief Minister demanded prompt revision of royalty rates for coal and other minerals so that mineral bearing states do not suffer revenue losses due to abnormal delays in revision of royalty rates and fixation of mineral royalties on ad valorem basis at the rate of 20 per cent of the market price of coal and other minerals.
He further pointed out that thermal power producing and mineral bearing states like Orissa should get 25 per cent free power from Independent Power Producers and 33 per cent free power from coal reject based power plants on the lines of the National Hydro Power Policy, to compensate for economic, environmental and social costs on account of pollution and displacement of people as well as loss of their livelihoods.
Ahluwalia appreciated the specific concerns of Orissa and shared that the issues including revision of royalty rates of coal and other minerals and according 'Go' status to various coal blocks including the two blocks allocated to Orissa Power Generation Corporation deserve to be considered favourably.
"We will particularly focus on setting up of new anganwadi centres and also on child nutrition”, said R V Singh, special secretary (planning & coordination), Orissa government.
In the plan segment, the state budget for 2011-12 had earmarked Rs 1,167.98 crore for agriculture & allied activities, Rs 3,259.61 crore for water resources, Rs 198.14 crore for cooperation department, Rs 377.70 crore for fisheries & animal resources development, Rs 609.61 crore for forest & environment, Rs 1,451.66 crore for health & family welfare, Rs 5,315.44 crore for school & mass education, Rs 2,181.74 crore for Panchayati Raj department, Rs 2,517.51 crore for women & child development, Rs 1,286.33 crore for SC & ST development, Rs 1,230 crore for Planning & Coordination department and Rs 1,026.32 crore for Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare department.
