An Annual Plan size of Rs6,300 crore for the year 2018-19 was approved in the meeting of State Planning Board held here on Wednesday with an increase of 10.51 per cent as compared to last year Annual Plan of Rs5,700 crore.

The meeting held under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur gave added priority to Social Services Sector, Transport and Communication, Agriculture & allied activities, Energy and Irrigation and Flood Control etc. in Annual Plan.

 

An outlay of Rs. 2548 crore has been proposed for social service sector, followed by transport and communication with proposed outlay of Rs.1095 crore. The third priority has been accorded to agriculture and allied activities sector for which an outlay of Rs.  844 crore has been proposed while energy sector is proposed Rs. 682 crore. Rs. 431 crore has been proposed for irrigation and flood control and Rs. 285 crore for general economic services while other sectors are proposed Rs. 415 crore.

 

The Chief Minister said that Rs. 653 crore has been proposed under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), loan funding from NABARD. He said that under this  a sum of Rs. 368 crore has  been proposed for roads and bridges, Rs. 130 crore for rural water supply schemes, Rs. 110 crore for minor irrigation schemes, Rs. 38 crore for micro irrigation and poly houses  (Agriculture)  besides flood control and food and civil supply sectors.

Earlier, the Chief Minister released a book 'Strategies for Doubling Farmers Income in Himachal Pradesh' by H.C. Sharma on the occasion.

 

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Kishan Kapoor, Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj, Urban Development Minister Sarveen Chaudhary, Health and Family Welfare Minister Vipin Parmar, Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Rajiv Saizal were also present in the meeting and gave their suggestions.

Chief Secretary Vineet Chawdhry, Additional Chief Secretary Finance Shrikant Baldi, and senior officers were present on the occasion amongst others.