Planning Commission approves Punjab's Rs 16,125 crore outlay for 2013-14

NEW DELHI: The Planning Commission today approved Punjab's annual Plan expenditure of Rs 16,125 crore for the current fiscal, which is 15.2 per cent higher than the outlay for 2012-13.

The state's annual Plan for 2013-14 was finalised here at a meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

During the meeting, Ahluwalia assured the state of continued support and pointed out that the issues raised by the state government would be considered appropriately.

He said that Commission is aware of the water problems of the state and the panel constituted on issue chaired by the Commission's member Mihir Shah has submitted its report, which is under consideration at present.

Ahluwalia said state needs a strategy to reduce water use and should work out a policy to get out of unsustainable use of ground water.

He also asked the state to effectively manage the adverse child sex-ratio and malnutrition.

For public health management, the state should take a Drug De-addiction control programmes and should do something for screening and early detection of cancer and management of drug affected people under National Rural Health Mission, an official release said.

"As the status of groundwater depletion in the state is alarming with about 80 per cent blocks either critical or overexploited, Punjab need to review its water policy and invest more for recharging of groundwater, renovations of water bodies and canal systems," the Commission said.

State was also told to look into improving the soil health and diversification of rice-wheat cropping system.

The Commission said that state should modernise canal systems and improve the water use efficiency in the surface water system and increase area under irrigation with surface water and reduce the burden on the groundwater based irrigation.

Briefing the Commission, Badal said, "The state's annual Plan for 2013-14 focuses on development of infrastructure in power, roads and rural water supply and sanitation. Health and education continue to be the thrust areas in this fiscal with special emphasis on girl child and women empowerment."

He said that new industrial policy aimed at eliminating bottlenecks in growth is nearing finalisation and would shortly to taken up for cabinet approval.