Plan panel asks IT dept to halve outlay to Rs 600 cr

NEW DELHI: The Planning Commission is understood to have asked the department of information technology (DIT) to scale down its annual plan outlay by 50%, or Rs 600 crore, for ‘03-04.
The reasons behind the panel’s move are high fiscal deficit and limited resources available with the government, besides government initiatives to cut down expenditure, sources said.
DIT is currently reworking its annual plan outlay and is expected to meet the plan panel officials later this week with a fresh proposal, they said, adding that the department required a higher amount in ‘03-04 to meet expenses in several new projects.
DIT has earmarked Rs 80 crore for its socio-economic project Media Lab Asia, Rs 30 crore for a DNA bio-informatics park and Rs 20 crore for research in nano technology, besides setting up community information centres (CICs) in areas like Andaman & Nicobar, Kashmir, Chhatisgarh and Uttaranchal.
With more projects like CICs being undertaken, centrally sponsored schemes like Vidya Vahini and focus towards R&D, the department is expecting a surge in expenses.