New Delhi: The Planning Commission on Monday
approved Rs 10,025 crore outlay for Kerala`s the annual Plan
for the fiscal 2010-11, an increase of 15.76 per cent over
last year.
The outlay was approved at a meeting today here
attended by Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh
Ahluwalia and chief minister VS Achuthanandan.
"There is an increase of 15.76 per cent in the total
plan outlay compared to the last year and this took Kerala`s
gross plan to a five-digit figure for the first time. Last
year, the original outlay was Rs 8,660 crore," Achuthanandan
told reporters after the meeting.
He said the additional Central assistance has been
enhanced to Rs 135 crore from last year`s Rs 110 crore and
that it will be utilised for the modernisation of fire and
rescue services.
"With an outlay of Rs 10,025 crores, it is certain
that the 11th Plan target of Rs 40,422 crore will be
exceeded over the five-year period," he said.
The Chief Minister said Kerala will also implement
`Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme`, one of the three schemes
introduced in this year`s plan. It will also implement an
income support scheme for those engaged in activities like
coir, fisheries and handloom.
Achuthanandan said this scheme is particularly important
in the wake of the adverse fall-out of the Indo-Asean Free
Trade Agreement for the producers in the state.
Asked about the fate of the Kochi Metro project,
Finance Minister Joseph Issac said the state is not able to
understand the logic behind the finance ministry not giving
its nod to implementing the project under the Centre-State
partnership mode.
"I am not able to understand the logic
behind it. The Planning Commission has approved the project to
be implemented like the Delhi (Centre-state) mode. The
Centre`s share is just Rs 400 crore," he said.
Issac said the finance ministry is "more ideological
than practical. We don`t understand why this dilly-dailing is
happening. We are even ready to fill the viability gap of 20
per cent. We hope good sense will prevail up on the finance
ministry," he said.
PTI
