HP allots Rs 5700 crore under annual plan

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh Planning Board approved Rs 5,700 crore under its 2017-18 annual plan despite the NITI Aayog discontinuing the yearly allotment system.

Chief Minster Virbhadra Singh, who presided over the boards meeting, said the proposed plan size was 9.1 per cent more as compared to last years Rs 5,200 crore allotment, with top priority to social services sector.

The Board met after priorities of MLAs from all districts was sought. Apart from the social service sector, priority has been given to transport, agriculture and hydro-power in the plan, he said.

Despite limited financial resources, the state government is committed to fulfill all promises made by the Congress in its election manifesto, the Chief Minister said.

An outlay of Rs 2,213 crore has been proposed for social service sector, followed Rs 1,073 crore for transport and communication, Rs 714 crore for agriculture and allied services, Rs 1,436 crore for Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan, Rs 513 crore for Scheduled Tribes Sub-Plan and Rs 683 crore for hydel power.

Singh said the state government is preparing the vision document-2030 which has a seven years development strategy and three years action plan.

The state government has decided to achieve most targets set under the United Nations sustainable development goals by 2022 against the international bodys time-frame of 2030, he said.

To keep a check on the absenteeism of staff in schools, bio-metric systems will be introduced soon, Singh assured, adding the Directorate of Inspections will conduct surprise check in schools.

Enrollment of children was better in state-run schools in rural and far flung areas as compared to urban areas, where people prefer private schools, the Chief Minister said.

He also stressed upon nutritious meal to the students under the Mid-Day Meal scheme.

The states child sex ratio, 972 females per 1,000 males, is better than the national average of 943 per 1000 males but it needs to be bettered, he said.

Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur said the state government had started a pilot project in three districts to keep a check sex determination tests.