The Hindu Business Line : Puducherry’s Plan outlay pegged at Rs 1,750 cr

The annual planned outlay of the Union Territory of Puducherry for the fiscal 2008-09 has been pegged at Rs 1,750 crore. This was finalised, here on Monday, at a meeting between the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and the Chief Minister of Puducherry, Mr N. Rangaswamy.

In his initial remarks, Mr Ahluwalia complimented Puducherry for growth in the manufacturing and service sectors. However the gross State domestic product (GSDP) growth rate was less than the national average. Focus should be on improving utilisation of resources.

Laudable efforts

Puducherry was lauded for efforts aimed at promoting tourism and involving the private sector. Human development indices remain better than the national average. Performance in health and education sector was satisfactory. The Commission offered non-lending technical assistance for procuring the master plan on tourism development. The State was advised to rationalise subsidy and encourage rainwater harvesting. Attention was also drawn to coastal erosion.

In making Puducherry’s case before the Plan panel, Mr Rangaswamy said that the Eleventh Plan would focus on social sector development with allocations stepped up for upgradation of rural roads, better drinking water supply, slum upgradation, primary and secondary education, primary health care services and the public distribution system.

He said infrastructure facilities were being improved to attract investment for industrial development, tourism and IT-related industries. The natural resource-based integrated farming system model with crop diversification and livestock integration would be promoted, he told the Plan panel.

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