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Plan panel okays 'unprecedented' hike in Uttar Pradesh annual outlay

The Planning Commission today cleared the annual plan outlay of Rs 102.60 billion for Uttar Pradesh for 1998-99, which is 43.24 per cent higher than the previous year's outlay.

Soon after meeting with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Jaswant Singh, a beaming Chief Minister Kalyan Singh described the hike as ''unprecedented'' and said the state's development would get an extra boost with such an allocation.

Singh said the Planning Commission, in another significant decision, has also approved the annual allocation of Rs 3.5 billion for the Uttaranchal region. This hike would be 55.5 per cent higher than the last year's allocation of Rs 2.25 billion.

In 1997-98, the state was allocated Rs 71.63 billion as annual plan outlay.

Singh said during 1998-99, the state would mobilise Rs 16.21 billion through its own resources. ''I am hopeful that the target will be met fully,'' he added.

Referring to his earlier government's performance in mobilising funds through its own resources during 1992-93, he said at that time Rs 9.73 billion had been raised against a target of Rs 6.40 billion.

Presenting the case for his state before the Planning Commission, he said four major factors -- lack of adequate investment both in public and private sectors, shortage of power, tardy pace of industrialisation and poor roads were responsible for the backwardness of the state.

''If we fail to ensure economic development of such a large state and increase the income of its population substantially, the demand for consumer goods and services would not pick up resulting in impeded development of the country,'' he said.

The chief minister said the state government, with the help of central allocations, would tackle the infrastructural problems and lure investors to the state.

UNI