Jharkhand demands assistance for infrastructure development

NEW DELHI: Jharkhand on Saturday demanded ''adequate'' assistance from the Planning Commission for infrastructural development in the State citing that 54 per cent of its population lives below the poverty line while 85 per cent of villages do not have electricity.
Over 60 per cent villages were not connected to roads and irrigation facility was available in only eight per cent of the State. Many infrastructural projects could not be completed due to paucity of fund, Jharkhand Chief Minister Babu Lal Marandi said addressing the National Development Council (NDC) meeting.
The State government would be spending 33 per cent of Rs 14,632 crore allocated to it by the Planning Commission in the tenth Five Year plan on education, health, housing and potable water while 22 per cent on rural development, 14 per cent on irrigation and 8-9 per cent on transportation, he said.
"Our government has adopted a roadmap called, ''Jharkhand Vision 2010'', to achieve objectives likes average nine per cent GDP growth in the State in which agriculture, industry an service sectors will account for five, 10 and 11 per cent," he said.
During 2010, poverty level would be brought down to 35 per cent from 54 per cent and irrigation facilities would be available in 25 per cent areas of the State from the present level of eight per cent, Marandi said.