HP for higher budgetary support to 'disadvantaged' states

NEW DELHI: Appreciating setting an ambitious target of eight per cent growth during the 10th plan in the changed economic scenario, Himachal Pradesh on Saturday emphasised the need for enlarged budgetary support to achieve it by taking special care of the "disadvantaged" states.
"Not only do we need an increase in the budgetary support to the plan, we also need appropriate design of vertical and horizontal equity in allocation of resources with special care to be taken of the disadvantage states and regions," Himachal Chief Minsiter Prem Kumr Dhumal said addressing the National Development Council meeting here.
To ensure incremental investment results in translating the "disadvantages into strength, significant changes in the agriculture related policy parameters towards realising the higher growth rate in such states is needed," he said.
Highlighting the various difficulties of disadvantaged states in maintaining the pace of development as well as the growth of the economy, he demanded that Himachal should be compensated for successfully protecting Himalayan environment by imposing a total ban on felling of trees, which could have otherwise yielded it a revenue of over Rs 300 crore annually.
He said the standing stock of forest wealth in the state is worth more than Rs 100,000 crore and for the past 17 years there is total ban on silviculture harvesting.
Asking the Centre to set up a Trans Himalayan Development Authority keeping in view the huge impact of Himalyas on the country''s economy, he said the body comprising Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal and Uttranchal could function on the pattern of North Eastern Council for speedy development of the entire region.
Stating that without energy security the economic growth could not be sustained, especially when a large part of the country still rely upon rain water for agriculture, Dhumal said states like Himachal with enormous hydel potential needed more financial support to tap this resource.
"The untapped hydro-electricity resource in the state can support the national endeavour to a considerable extent in the energy sector," he said, adding the state government has initiated the process of "actualisation of over 7,000 mw power capacity in the next 10 years against the 4,000 mw capacity projects executed during past 50 years."
Seeking Centre''s permission to allow Himachal levy of generation tax on central projects located in the state, Dhumal said a three-pronged strategy has been adopted by his government to harness the power potential by involving the central sector, private sector and state power board.
"Rapid strides in this sector will not only help the national economy at large, but will also impart economic and fiscal resilience of the state," the Chief Minister said.
Referring to the untapped vast tourist potential of the state, he requested the Centre to construct an international standard airport in Himachal, which has built a network of 22,200 kilometres motorable roads in difficult terrain with a density of about 40 km per 100 sq km. But this is still much lower than the 64.6 km density prescribed by the National Road Congress, Dhumal said.
He also demanded waiving of the population criteria of 250 people for constructing the road under the "Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna" for hilly state, saying the allocation of funds under the scheme should be related to backlog of rural connectivity at large.