Plan panel approves Rs 20K cr outlay for Tamil Nadu for FY'11

The Planning Commission on Monday approved Tamil Nadu's Rs 20,068-crore annual plan outlay, which includes Rs 150 crore additional central assistance for projects of special interest to the state, for 2010-11 fiscal.

The Planning Commission on Monday approved Tamil Nadu's Rs 20,068-crore annual plan outlay, which includes Rs 150 crore additional central assistance for projects of special interest to the state, for 2010-11 fiscal.

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"The annual plan for Tamil Nadu for current fiscal was finalised here at a meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi," an official statement said.

On the plan performance of the state, Ahluwalia said that plan realisation has been good but more efforts are needed to take the state economy to previous levels of growth.

He said that the state's economic performance was very impressive and better than the national average during 2004-05 to 2006-07.

Ahluwalia also said that the state has impressive record of improvement in human development indices and growth in industry and services. It has dynamic services sector and relatively stagnant agriculture.

The Commission suggested that the state should lay more emphasis on agriculture growth and improve productivity by developing further dry-land agriculture.

It needs to optimise water management and also increase area under cultivation. The state government should device schemes in the state sector and provides matching funding so that it can avail the central assistance under various schemes for industrial development, he pointed out.

During the meeting, Karunanidhi said that the state was committed to social justice and inclusive growth.

With this intension the state has introduced Kalaignar Housing Scheme under which permanent concrete houses would be provided to 21 lakh poor families over a period of six years, he added.

He said that a health insurance scheme has been introduced to provide relief to poor which would be beneficial for 1.44 crore families.

Under the scheme the insured families can get treatment for specified life threatening diseases for up to Rs one lakh in approved private hospitals.

Karunahidhi demanded that more funds should be provided under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana to the state for new link roads for habitation with population of more than 250 as all habitations with 1,000 or more population have been provided with link roads.

"All new schemes would be announced later on," the Chief Minister told reporters, adding that we had very good discussion on power situation in the state.