Imphal, August 19 2009: The annual plan for 2009-10 for the state of Manipur was finalized Wednesday at Rs 2000 crore at a meeting between state Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh and deputy chairman, planning commission at New Delhi, said a statement of the Chief Minister secretariat, Imphal.

The annual plan size for the year 2009-10 has been fixed at Rs 2000 crore as against Rs 1660 crore for the last year 2008-09, an increase of 21 percent.

The annual plan size for 2009-10 includes a component of special plan assistance (SPA) amounting to Rs 611 crore against Rs 550 crore for 2008-09.The final SPA proposals for 2009-10 will be submitted shortly to the planning commission, the statement further said.

Mention may be made that the plan size of the state for the current year 2009-10 has remained unable to finalize in the meeting between the Chief Minister and deputy chairman of the planning commission held recently in the first week of this month, August.

Manipur's proposal for 20 percent hike plan outlay proposal from previous year 2008-09 outlay was rejected by the Planning Commission of India in the meeting with deputy chairman of the commission held at New Delhi on August 4 at New Delhi.

Refusal to state proposal Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh walked out from the meeting as the deputy chairperson, Montek Singh Alluwalia insisted to fix the size at 10 percent hike to last year's plan size of Manipur.

Manipur proposed a total outlay of Rs 2425.92 crores for the annual plan outlay for the year 2009-10 including Rs 800 crore Special Plan Assistance (SPA) and Rs 1625.92 crores under normal plan scheme, ACA.

In the proposal, Manipur gives thrust in construction of buildings of all schools by 2010-11, training of teachers, especially primary teachers, improving science and maths teaching in the hill areas, establishment of residential model English medium high schools and higher secondary school, improvement of healthcare services, housing for doctors and paramedical staffs in rural and hill areas, establishment of state medical college (Jawarhal Nehru Institute of Medical Science) within 2010-11. Other thrust areas include improvement/upgradation of roads and bridges with focus on widening of state highways and link roads to national highways, expansion of existing road network to improve overall connectivity, assured drinking water facilities for all habitations and take up employment generation programmes including providing employment to at least one lakh by 2010-11 through re-vamped Self Employment Generation Programme (SEGP).

The government is also giving thrust to increase of food grain production and productivity to reduce food grain deficit from 20 percent to 10 percent by 2010-11 and self sufficiency by 2011-12 by raising pln allocation for agriculture and allied sector.

Expansion of area under horticulture crops cultivation in the state, development of skill labour through ITI,s by taking up special skill enhancement programmes and take up capacity programme for government officials to improve absorptive capacity also included in the sectors which government giving thrust during the current financial year 2009-10.

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