The State Government on Saturday finalised the budget of the 12th Plan (2012-17) at Rs 1,27,373 crore after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the proposal submitted by the Planning and Coordination Department.
Earlier, the Government had pegged the plan size for 2012-13 at an all-time high of Rs 17,200 crore. The annual plan for 2011-12 was fixed at Rs 12,300 crore.
The Government has given maximum importance to agriculture, irrigation, infrastructure, education, health services, food security programmes, poverty alleviation, economic development of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes and human resource development. According to the Annual Plan 2012-13 released by the department, the government has planned to utilise Rs 1,264.51 crore for agriculture and allied activities.
Official sources said a higher plan size was proposed keeping in view the higher demand from different departments and to achieve the higher growth target. The growth rate of the State has been more than the national average in the last couple of years.
The State Government has also taken several steps to boost revenue generation and maintain a robust growth rate.The annual plan was discussed in December and it had agreed to the higher plan outlay.
Apart from several new self-funded welfare and infrastructure schemes, the State Government has to make enhanced provisions to match allocations in view of the increased Central Government-sponsored schemes. State-sponsored schemes like Mamata, Biju Krushak Yojana, Biju Setu Yojana, Biju KBK, Biju Kandhamal require huge funds.