Rs. 3,000-crore plan outlay for Orissa

  • 16/02/2005

  • Hindu (New Delhi)

The size of Orissa's Annual Plan for 2005-06 has been fixed at Rs 3,000 crores. This includes Rs 68 crores provided by the Planning Commission as additional Central assistance for "special interest" projects of the State.The outlay was finalised at a meeting here on Wednesday between the Deputy Chairman of the Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and the Orissa Chief Minister, Navin Patnaik. During the discussions, Dr Ahluwalia pointed out that as the flow of Central aid to the States for various social sector programmes was likely to increase, Orissa should prepare itself to take advantage of such Central initiatives.While hailing the State for ushering in economic reforms and creating an investor-friendly environment, he said the Centre would particularly support the State Government's endeavour in encouraging corporate investments in Orissa, especially in the mineral sector.