News Detail

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The Himachal Pradesh government has proposed a INR 4,400 crore annual plan for 2014-15, which is INR 300 crore (7.4 percent) more than current year&#39;s plan of INR 4,100 crore.&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="color:rgb(105, 105, 105); font-family:arial; font-size:11px; line-height:1.6em">Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said after a meeting with MLAs from the districts of Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Mandi and Kullu to ascertain their plan priorities, and that the focus of the plan was on overall development of the state and implementation of Congress manifesto.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The government departments are preparing Detailed Project Reports of various developmental projects and making efforts to get them sanctioned at appropriate levels, Singh said.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The priorities of the MLAs would be funded from grant- based schemes of the central government like Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), Central Road Fund (CRF), Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) and Externally Aided Projects.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The priorities not covered under these schemes would be sent to NABARD for funding through loans, he added.&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="color:rgb(105, 105, 105); font-family:arial; font-size:11px; line-height:1.6em">Reiterating the demand for equal share in all centrally sponsored schemes on the analogy of Northeastern states, where funding is being done in a uniform ratio of 90:10, the Chief Minister said the state government had been consistently raising the issue and he had personally requested the Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram to accede to the demand.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">He also asked the concerned officers to expedite the forest clearances cases which were creating hindrance in road construction.&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="color:rgb(105, 105, 105); font-family:arial; font-size:11px; line-height:1.6em">The Chief Minister said government educational institutions would be provided in the state with their own buildings in a phased manner.&nbsp;</span><span style="color:rgb(105, 105, 105); font-family:arial; font-size:11px; line-height:1.6em">Singh also said that a project would be prepared to channelise Pabbar River from Sandasali up to Hatkoti on the analogy of Swan River and the PWD and Forest Rest Houses at Khadrala will be maintained, repaired and renovated.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Referring to the problem of stray animals, the Chief Minister said that it has become a social problem. A micro chip would be fitted in their bodies, containing all the data of the owner of the animal to check the menace, he added.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Source-On Request</span></span></span></p>