State Plan for 2012-13 finalised at Rs 3,500 crore
State Govt's performance satisfactory, says Ahaluwalia; Ibobi sets target to reduce infrastructural deficit
Source: Hueiyen News Service / MIC / PTI

New Delhi, June 06 2012: Planning Commission on Wednesday finalised the annual plan for Manipur at Rs 3,500 crores for the year 2012-13, which is an increase of only Rs 310 crores from the plan size of last fiscal year.

The plan size of Manipur for 2011-2012 was Rs 3,210 crores.

This was finalised at a meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and state Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh here.

In his comments on the performance of the State, Ahluwalia said the State has been performing satisfactorily.

He said the infrastructure gap in the state needs to be bridged on priority.

The state should encourage private participation in infrastructure development.

Ahluwalia said the GSDP at current prices of the state has increased from Rs 5,133.66 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 7,184.09 crore in 2010-11 .

Ahluwlaia said recent analysis reveals differing levels of growth rate of different sectors of the economy, during the period 2000-2009.Of the sectors considered, electricity, gas and water supply and public administration were found to have grown slowly.

Fishery, Manufacturing with its sub-sector Unregistered manufacturing and Transport, storage & communication with its sub-sector communication had grown faster.

The Deputy Chairman said education and health indices throw up a mix of the good and not so good.

Literacy rate, standing at 70.50 per cent in 2001 has improved significantly to 79.85 per cent in 2011 .

Overall, male literacy rate has increased by about 6 per cent to 80.33 per cent in 2011 while female rate has gone up by 12.64 per cent from 60.53% during the same period. Health indicators are good with Crude Birth Rate (CBR) and Crude Death Rate (CDR) estimated at 14.9 and 4.2, respectively as against 22.1 and 7.2, respectively at All-India average (SRS-2010), and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of 14 per thousand at (SRS-2010) as against 47 at All-India average.

He said the government has identified particular sectors for faster growth of economy and provision of services.

These are: of providing better road connectivity improving availability of power and drinking water; expanding the network of health care facilities, and better schools throughout the State.

Other focus areas include irrigation facilities and youth development through promotion of sports, he added.

Briefing the Commission on the development strategy of the state, the Chief Minister said the main thrust will be on reducing infrastructural deficit and expanding and strengthening capacity of key social sectors like health, education, women and child welfare, nutrition and food security.

Singh said there is a need for closing the gap between the deprived local population and the rest of the country.

It is, therefore, necessary that there is enough investment for expansion of social infrastructure for covering the disadvantaged section, backward, remote and border areas.

He said skill development programmes would be expanded to meet growing demand of industry and service sectors.

Singh said greater powers would be devolved to the hill area and new policy initiatives will be taken to encourage investments in these areas.

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