Naveen wants Plan Panel to back Kalahandi revival

The Orissa chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, demanded that the Centre should accord its approval to the Rs 4,550 crore eight year perspective plan for the development of KBK (Koraput,Balangir, Kalahandi) region of the state.

The chief minister, who met the deputy chairman of planning commission, Montek Singh Alhuwalia, on Tuesday, said the implementation of the plan is necessary for the consolidation of the devlopment of KBK region, the most backward area of the country.

The eight-year perspective plan has been prepared in consultation with the planning commission and submitted for approval.

Pending approval of the perspective plan, the Centre should enhance the special central aid for the KBK region from Rs 130 crore to Rs 500 crore, the chief minister demanded.

Pointing out that Orissa despite being the pioneer in power reforms is facing difficulty in getting Central assistance in the sector, Patnaik said the guidelines for sanction of funds under Accelerated Power Development and Reform Program II (APDRP-II) be modified.

The chief minister also demanded allocation of 500 mw power from the Central unallocated share and Orissa's share from the NTPC Kaniha II to bail out the state from the present deficit situation.

He also demanded a special allocation of Rs 300 crore a year for construction of the Orissa portion of the Ranchi-Vijayawada highway.

The Tuesday meeting pegged the state's annual plan outlay for 2010-11 at Rs 11,000 crore.The plan oulay was Rs 9,500 crore in 2009-10.

Patnaik, while discussing on the size of the state plan outlay, told said that the state has clocked a growth rate of 9.51 during the Tenth Five-Year Plan period. Asserting that the tempo will be maintained in the 11th Plan period, he said the plan size need to be pegged at a high of Rs 11,000 crore as the state government is making an effort to attract more and more investors by improving the physical infrastructure and also social infrastructrue in the state.

The state finance minister, Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, said the plan outlay has increased four-fold since 2004-05 when it was Rs 2,500 crore.