PANAJI: The Planning Commission has approved the highest ever plan size of Rs 4,700 crore for the state for the year 2012-13. The increase in the outlay for the state is the highest ever and is 42 per cent higher than the previous year. The state’s outlay for the year 2011-12 was Rs 3,320 crore.

The size of the plan was finalised at a meeting held between the Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar and Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India in New Delhi on Wednesday for finalisation of the Annual Plan 2012-13. Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Board, Mr Dattaprasad Kholkar also attended the meeting.

Besides, the state is expected to get a total amount of Rs 30,000 crore, at current prices, during the ongoing five-year plan, which would help the state government to fulfil its assurances made not only in its manifesto but also in its budget 2012-13. The huge fund allocation would also give a fillip to socio-economic development across the state.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister highlighted the present agriculture scenario and economic health of the state. He stated that though the state was famous for tourism, agriculture was the primary occupation of the people and his government has accorded more importance to develop the sector further and wanted to ensure that the traditional occupation of Goans was made profitable, substantially.

Mr Parrikar, in his brief to the Planning Commission, touched every sector of the Goan economy and made his government’s intentions clear to revamp the whole development process so as to make Goa a model state. He explained in detail the strategies the state has proposed and those which were in the pipeline. He emphasised his resolve to bring in good governance in the state.

He emphasised on the initiatives that his government has taken during the last four months and informed the Commission the issues and concerns before the present government. He also highlighted the conditions of people from disadvantaged groups namely SC, ST, OBC, disabled, seafarers, Dhangar community, unemployed youth, senior citizens, etc.

The Chief Minister forcefully put up the case for conversion of the under construction District Hospital in South Goa District into second medical college cum hospital in the state for the benefit of people from South Goa. He also observed that central schemes such as JNNURM have not picked up in recent times.

While dealing on the recently launched scheme ‘Laadli Laxmi,’ the Chief Minister said that the scheme was mooted in view of the declining sex ratio. He informed the Planning Commission about the advantages of the scheme. He also expressed his resolve to strengthen the DSS scheme and inflation allowance and so on.

Mr Parrikar said that his government will lay greater emphasis on the creation of tourism infrastructure and its diversification to add value to this sector. Hinterland, sports, beach adventure, medical and wellness tourism and such other entertainment facilities need to be created to attract more tourists to the state, he said.

Discussing on the issues on development, he told the Commission about the importance of road connectivity (bridges) and impressed upon them that 6 lane highways, better road conditions and connectivity is very much essential for setting up of large number of non-hazardous and eco-friendly industries in the state for which his government was committed.

He emphasised the need for making water available 24 x 7 and setting up of two sewage treatment plants, one each in north and south Goa. Stating that Goa needs quality power he stressed the need for minimising the losses and indicated state’s intentions to carry out underground power cabling starting with the areas under costal belt.

As regards education sector, the Chief Minister informed them that the state is trying to take lead and it intends to create an educational hub with common facility centres. While talking on the health sector he informed the Planning Commission that adequate manpower and quality still remains a concern in spite of quite a substantial amount of expenditure on health in the state.

The Planning Commission was impressed with the vision of creating a model state and the government’s plans to create an educational hub, infrastructural development such as roads, bridges, electricity, water for drinking and irrigation purpose, creation of long pending and much desired facilities for the development of the tourism sector, the government has said in a statement..

While commenting, the Planning Commission lauded the approach of the state government and welcomed the idea of setting up of educational hub and appreciated the government’s proposed plans of 24 x 7 water supply and setting up of a mixed garbage treatment plant.

The Planning Commission described Mr Manohar Parrikar as hard task master and expressed its confidence that Goa is bound to grow under his leadership. The Planning Commission has equally appreciated the government’s plans which are focussed in agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, urban development and IT.

The state delegation also comprised of the Chief Secretary, Mr Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, Principal Secretaries to the government, Mr B Vijayan, Mr Parimal Rai, Mr R K Verma, additional secretary (budget), Mr Anand Sherkhane, joint director of planning, Mr Vijay Saxena and others.