From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has sought Rs 1,040 crore from the Centre as a one-time project-mode-assistance to complete some vital infrastructure development works.
Dr Sangma met the Member Secretary of Planning Commission on Tuesday and demanded an early release of the additional fund.
“Meghalaya could not avail the 11th Plan allocation fully unlike many other Northeastern states which got the Plan support besides the respective allocation for the 11th Plan,” he said.
As against the approved outlay of Rs. 9,185.00 crore for the 11th Plan for the State the actual release/ utilization up to 2010-11 was Rs. 5,916.57 crore only, he said.
“Including the approved outlay of Rs. 2,727.00 crore for the current year (2011-12), the total Plan provision for Meghalaya aggregates to Rs. 8,643.57 crore which is about 94 per cent of the 11th Plan approved outlay,” Dr Sangma, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said.
“However, the approved Annual Plan allocations viz-a-viz their Eleventh Plan outlays for all other Northeastern states, other than Tripura, ranged from 109 per cent to 141 per cent of the approved Eleventh Plan outlay. Therefore, there is a strong case for release of additional fundsto our State,” he said.
More than half of this fund (Rs.535 crore) the Chief Minister wanted was for the up gradation of the state highways, other major roads and flag ship programmes like Integrated Basin Development and Livelihoods Programmes.
He also wanted release of Rs.118 crore for completion of the ongoing road projects and another Rs 256.64 crore to construct a new Assembly Building.