By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Dr Sangma has proposed a tentative Plan size of Rs 4141 crore for the fiscal year 2013-2014 pending finalization by the Planning Commission.
The plan size fixed by the Planning Commission for 2012-13 was Rs 3939.
“The proposed Rs 4141 outlay includes loan component of Rs 798.50 crore, externally aided component of Rs 405.50 crore and the 13th Finance Commission Award of Rs 116.42 crore,” Dr Sangma said while presenting the Budget in the Assembly on Friday.
Out of the proposed budgetary allocation of Rs 4141 crore, he said that 6.43 per cent of the allotment is earmarked for the social services sector, 19.90 per cent for the power sector, 10.34 per cent for the transport sector, 9.36 per cent is earmarked for agriculture and allied activities, 6.47 per cent for irrigation and 4.88 per cent for rural development programmes.
Later speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister expressed confidence that he would be able to get the proposed Plan outlay cleared by the Planning Commission.
“We are definitely going to see an increase in the plan outlay” he added.
Dr Sangma, however, informed that due to the stress in the national economy, there are strong doubts that the Centre would be able to release the whole amount of the plan outlay of Rs 3939 crore which has been fixed for the current fiscal year.
“But I am still hopeful that the State would get the full amount since few more days are left for current fiscal year to come to an end,” the Chief Minister said.
When asked how much fund the State has been able to utilize so far in this fiscal year, Dr Sangma said it would be difficult for him to provide the figure at this juncture since the full calculation has not been made.
“But I can only tell that the utilization of the funds is much below the set target in the last three quarters. The inability to utilize the funds as per the target might have been due to the recent Assembly election,” Dr Sangma said.
He, however, said that he was optimistic that they would be able to utilize the whole amount in the final quarter.
“We utilized the whole amount of Rs 2727 crore which was the plan outlay fixed for the 2011-2012 fiscal,” the Chief Minister said.