Gujarat's annual plan snippets

The Planning Commission on Friday finalised an annual plan of Rs 38,000 crore for Gujarat for 2011-12, higher by nearly 27 per cent over the previous financial year, appreciating the state’s double-digit growth rate for the second consecutive year. Officials participating in the meeting between chief minister Narendra Modi and the commission’s deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said, the commission allowed a higher plan size as it was appreciative of the fast infrastructure growth achieved in ports, gas-and-oil and energy sectors, which has triggered a much higher industrial growth. Officials said, though some Planning Commission members expressed misgivings on the continued lag in the state’s human development index, its member-secretary Sudha Pillai wanted the Gujarat government to send across to her a complete note on the public-private partnership (PPP) model, especially in health and education sectors. She wanted the state’s PPP model to be emulated elsewhere in India. At the same time, senior economist Abhijit Sen, member, Planning Commission, disputed the state’s claim about high agricultural growth, saying it was erratic and rain-fed. Sen said, the average of the last five years suggested the state’s growth has been less than that of the nation. Another commission member Sayeeda Hamid raised the issue of failure of the state to provide security to the minorities. Hamid cited lack of banks in the minority areas and failure of the banks to provide loans to the minorities. Modi reacted that the critique did not stand reason as the nationalised banks came under the Central government. Hamid also referred to the state’s refusal to allow implementation of the Centre’s pre-matric scholarship to Muslim students. Modi replied back, “We have provided scholarship to 1.5 lakh minority students”. Addressing the meet, the CM said there are growing list of instances of the Centre breaking the ‘federal dharma’. “It seems that UPA’s strategy is clear encroachment on state’s matters and economic freedom and agenda of GoI is of centralisation of powers and interference in state subject matters,” he said, citing the Draft Ports Regulatory Bill which showed the UPA’s intention to undermine the authority of the Gujarat Maritime Board.
Planning Commission finalises 38,000 cr annual plan for 2011-12 as against 37,152 cr proposed by the state government — a rise of 26.67% over the previous annual plan
Extra rise of 848 cr is for urban health care projects in 159 municipal towns, cow breed improvement, tribal area schemes, drip irrigation, drinking water and road network
Panel hails state economy’s growth by 10.23% in 2009-10 and 11.58% in 2010-11
Modi seeks 9,000 cr in next three years for 90,000 teachers’ recruitment and 60,000 classrooms