The Hindu 19.12.2013
Rs.20,000-cr. Plan for State
50% hike for large projects
The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday approved the annual Plan of the State for 2014-15 with total outlay of Rs.20,000 crore .
The
outlay is 17.65 per cent higher than current year’s Plan size of
Rs.17,000 crore. Higher share is earmarked for Scheduled Tribes
Development and major infrastructural projects.
Grants to local self governments are 25.27 per cent of the total outlay.
The Plan will be subject to approval by the Planning Commission.
3% for ST welfare
Chief
Minister Oommen Chandy told the media after the Cabinet meeting that
about three per cent of the Plan was earmarked for Scheduled Tribes — up
from 2.3 per cent in the current year. The amount would come to about
Rs.600 crore against about Rs.350 crore this year.
For Scheduled Tribes
Additional
allocations for tribes would be used for drawing up new developmental
projects to be implemented by District Collectors under the supervision
of a high-level committee chaired by the Director of Scheduled Tribes
Development.
Also, Rs.1962 crore was set apart for Scheduled Castes (9.81 per cent of total outlay).
The
Chief Minister said that the Plan proposed 50 per cent increase in
allocation for large-scale infrastructure projects (Rs.1,125 crore
against about Rs.846 crore this year.).
The major
projects for which investment is proposed next year include Vizhinjam
International Transhipment Terminal, Kochi Metro Rail Project, Kannur
Airport Project, monorail projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode
and suburban rail corridor project.
Mr. Chandy said
that Rs.413.76 crore was set apart for special area development,
including those for hill and coastal areas and Kasaragod district.
Farm sector
Emphasis was accorded to agriculture and allied sectors with an outlay of Rs.3,444.55 crore.
A
sum of Rs.3,711.76 crore was proposed to be allocated for industries
and infrastructure development. The outlay for agriculture sector had
increased by 207.61 per cent since 2011-12. The increase was 267.34 per
cent for Health and Family Welfare.
He said that if
current year’s Budget had gone haywire as alleged, he as well as his
Minister’s were responsible. “I had been proposing new projects and
allocations when found necessary.”
Praise for Mani
Finance
Minister K. M. Mani was a good Minister who was liberal with allocation
for development and social welfare. The government could do much
because of him, he said.
