PC bats for PPP model ; CM not pleased with Plan outlay of Rs 3560 crore
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 25 2013: The Plan outlay for the financial year 2013-14 has been fixed at Rs 3560 crore which means an increment of Rs 150 crore from the Plan size of the previous financial year.

Though the Plan outlay for 2013-14 has been increased by 4.2 per cent from the previous year during a meeting held this afternoon at New Delhi, Chief Minister O Ibobi was not pleased with the outlay.

Notably, the State Government had proposed a Plan outlay of Rs 4396 crore for this financial year increasing it by 25 per cent from previous year's Plan outlay of Rs 3500 crore.

The Play outlay of Rs 3650 includes Rs 450 crore for Special Plan Assistance (SPA) and Rs 800 crore for Special Central Assistance (SCA) .

The Chief Minister was hoping a Plan outlay of at least Rs 4000 crore if not the proposed size of Rs 4396 crore.

Sources informed that the Chief Minister was visibly upset with the Plan outlay.

CM Ibobi with Montek Singh Ahluwalia

The meeting for finalising the State's plan outlay was participated by Chief Minister O Ibobi, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, Health and Family Welfare Minister Phungzathang Tonsing, Chief Secretary DS Poonia and other high ranking officials.

The Planning Commission team was headed by Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Planning Commission officials suggested the State Government officials to adopt public-private partnership (PPP) model for projects and schemes which would be taken up in the State.

They even suggested that the same model be adopted, if possible, for the projects and schemes which are already under progress but not yet completed.

They also asked the State Government to focus on reforming the power sector during the current financial year.

Notably, the State Government has already decided to convert Power Department to a corporation and divide it into two companies.

A board of governors has been already constituted in this regard.

One company which would be named Discom would handle distribution section while another company to be named Holdco would look after generation and transmission parts.

Another strong instruction of the Planning Commission was agriculture and irrigation infrastructure so that there can be cultivation of crops round the year in Manipur.

Tribal Inclusive Growth Projects is another area of thrust for the current financial year.

The Planning Commission further asked the State Government to fix definite deadlines and ensure completion of projects taken up in Manipur with Special Plan Assistance not latter the deadlines fixed.

Although the plan size for the previous fiscal was Rs 3500 crores, the Planning Commission released only 3200 crores which was 80 per cent of the plan outlay.

Another source informed that the Chief Minister O Ibobi called on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan this afternoon before the meeting with Planning Commission officials.

Later in the evening, the Chief Minister called on AICC president and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.

However, it could not be ascertained what transpired during the meetings between Dr Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Sushil Kumar Shinde and O Ibobi.