CHANDIGARH: The planning commission of India Thursday approved Rs.5000 crore,  Annual Plan outlay of Rs.5111 crore against the proposed plan size of Rs.4800 crore for the year 2007-08. 

The proposal to this effect was approved at a meeting held at Delhi between the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission of India  Montek Singh Ahluwalia and the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.  The new plan indicated an increase of 27.5% over the annual plan of Rs.4000 crore for the corresponding year 2006-07, which was one of the biggest plan allocation so far.    

The figure does not represent only breaking of "the sound barrier" of Rs.5000 crore figure which Punjab had struggled to cross over the past few decades but also represents a major departure from the old developmental parameters.  

An officual spokesman said that on the persuasion of  Badal , the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission agreed to revise the resources by Rs.479 crore viz. (i) higher resources likely to be available under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) – Rs.175 crore, (ii) Additional Resources likely to be available under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewable Mission (JNURM) – Rs.110 crore, (iii) amount to be available under the new Additional Central Assistance (ACA) scheme for agriculture – Rs.125 crore, (iv) Additional Resource Mobilization by State Government (over and above) Rs.750 crore (earlier indicated) Rs.44 crore.  In addition, Dr.Ahluwalia also agreed to the proposal of Chief Minister to provide additional Central assistance of Rs.150 crore for projects linked to a skilled development programme.  

Taking part in the deliberations, .Badal said that the critical area of education and welfare of scheduled castes population that constitute a major chunk of state's population must be given focused attention.  He urged the Planning Commission for the allocation of more funds to the state for the implementation of schemes to provide houses and education to the weaker sections. He emphasized the need for opening skill development and up-gradation centers in the rural areas for enhancement of skills of school drop outs and overage persons.  

He said that every block of the state should have a skill development center and the GoI should give liberal financial assistance for skill development programme and quality education for the 'gifted poor' as the human resource development was the key factor in the economic development of the society. He urged the Centre to frame pro-farmer policies to make this vocation more lucrative as the agriculture was no more a profitable venture.  

He said that the profession of agriculture which was once considered as one of the most profitable and prestigious profession has lost its glory due to the gross neglect of this segment by the Centre.   He said that the state had already exhausted its natural resources in terms of quality of soil and ground water which had considerably depleted for making our nation self-reliant in food production.   "Now it is the turn of the Centre to address the problems of the farmers at the top priority to give them a new lease of life thereby ensuring economic freedom and stability", asserted Mr.Badal.

The Chief Minister also asked the Planning Commission to recommend the proposal of the state government to Centre for the remodeling and rejuvenation of the 150 years old canal system in the state as a special case in order to augment its intake capacity to the optimum level.   Showing deep concern for the pathetic financial condition of the farmers, he urged the Planning Commission to strongly recommend the state's case to GoI for announcing One Time Settlement for the farm loans taken from the commercial banks. Badal said that the states like Andhra, Karnataka and Vidharba had been given relief packages but Centre remained insensitive to Punjab that had contributed to a great extent for the national food security.  He said that it was a high time to encourage the farmers to continue their endeavour for the food production otherwise our country could foresee a food crisis in the near future.   

Badal furthers said that the farmers had no control over their income as prices for their inputs like fertilizers, pesticides & seeds and even the MSP were fixed by the Centre.   He emphasized a single line solution for this malady to provide adequate funds to the states to make agriculture a profitable and self-sustaining venture.  He also raised the issue of compensation to the farmers across the border fence and increase funding under Border Areas Development Programme.  

Appreciating the concern for the sad plight of the farmers and farm labours, Ahluwalia said that the Centre was fully seized of the situation and would soon come out with the national policy to provide relief to this debt stressed segment once the report by the Radhakrishnan Committee was submitted any moment.   Dr.Ahluwalia also agreed to consider the proposal of the Chief Minister for taking over the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) at Jalandhar, being constructed over an area of 56 acre at an estimated cost of Rs. 240 crore, and run it on the pattern of AIIMS.   He assured the Chief Minister that he would personally take up this issue with the Prime Minister.  He also said that he would impress upon the Centre to include Mohali's urban agglomeration under the JNURM for an integrated development of the city on the pattern of Ludhiana and Amritsar.   

The member of the Planning Commission critically evaluated the functioning of health, education, social welfare and agriculture departments and suggested that the state government should fully utilize the funds provided under various schemes and programmes in the annual plan.   They also advised the state government to take maximum advantage of the centrally sponsored schemes in all the departments by making provision of matching grant for which the state had not been forth coming as per the past experience.