The Annual Plan size of Gujarat for the current year is fixed at Rs.23,500 crores at a meeting between Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Dy. Chairman Planning Commission Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia here on Thursday. This year Plan Size is 11.90% higher than the previous year’s approved plan outlay of Rs. 21,000 crores. The Government of Gujarat presented a robust financial health of State before the members of Planning Commission.

Appreciating Gujarat Government’Secretary HDI initiatives, Planning Commission approved 3 new schemes suggested by CM regarding Urban Health Care Centres, Gujarat Integrated Nutrition Programme and Soyabin Flour Nutritive foods for BPL families.

Gujarat CM demanded a fair and just formula for Crude Oil Royalty and compensation for Central Sales Tax.

Gujarat is the growth engine of India and achieved a growth rate of 10.86% in the Tenth Plan against the target of 10.20%. In the first year of the Eleventh Plan, Gujarat achieved a growth of 12.79% in 2007-08 against the target of 11.20%. Agriculture has been a major success story with 12% growth over the last year four years.

Any suggestions for change in centrally sponsored assisted schemes are welcome from Gujarat Government, Dy. Chairman said.

He also appreciated Chief Minister Fellowship Program and Public Private Partnership movements of Gujarat as a development initiatives.

The main focus of the State is on improving Human Development Index. 43.61% of the Annual Plan allocation is for Social Services Sector which includes Education, Health, Drinking Water, Housing and Welfare of Backward Classes, Women and Children.

The major thrust of the annual plan is on Health, Education, Nutrition, Water Supply, Urban Poor and Agriculture.

Two new innovative schemes to combat mal-nutrition problem are being implemented from current year. The success of Gujarat in supplying fortified atta with micro nutrients to the poorest of the poor is well known. Now the State is planning to add defattened soya flour along with micro nutrients to supply Soyabin protein fortified atta to all BPL families, children in anganwadis and schools for Mid Day Meal as well as pregnant and lactating women. Another unique programme in this direction is Gujarat-Integrated Nutrition Project under which pregnant women, adolescent girls and children under 5 years will be provided fortified nutritive food in 12 districts.

In the health sector, there has been tremendous expansion of the services through the network of Govt. hospitals and dispensaries spread across the State. E.M.R.I. 108 Mobile Services reach even to the remotest parts of the State just by a telephone call. All school children are medically examined every year and over 1.5 crore children are covered under the School Health Programme. Last year more than 3000 children were referred for super specialty treatment in cancer, kidney and heart diseases, even outside the State. The Chiranjeevi Scheme has been successful in saving lives of mothers and children and covers 80% of pregnant women through institutional deliveries.

Highlighting the primary education, Gujarat CM apprised that the State has made an impressive progress in Primary Education – achieving almost 100% enrolment and practically 0% drop out. The State is now focusing on improving the quality of education with innovative campaign of GUNOTSAV. All round monitoring of school education will be launched in November 2009 and training of teachers for which satellite teaching is also being used.

As a universal global education innovative vision, the State has been forefront in setting up of as many as 7 unique universities. They include Children University, Teachers University, Petro-energy university, International Law University, Kamdhenu-Animal Husbandry University, Forensic Science University, Raksha Shakti University, etc.

Gujarat has taken the lead in setting up specialized Universities for Children, Teachers, Security, Forensic Science and Petroleum and is focusing on increasing seats in specialized technical and medical education for the youth.

Gujarat is a rapidly urbanizing State. To tackle the problems of infrastructure and health and to focus on the urban poor, Swarnim Jayanti Mukhyamantri Shehari Vikas Yojana with an outlay of Rs. 7000 crores in the 11th Plan has been launched, while for urban poor, urban health centres will be established in cities.

During 5 years Gujarat has made revolutionary success in water management and as many as 4.5 lakh water body structures for rain water harvesting were constructed with massive people’s participation. Monsoon was delayed this year. In order to save the rain water Gujarat adopted an innovative strategy of constructing almost 2.5 lakhs boribandhs in just 30 days at a cost of almost Rs.100 crores which has saved the valuable kharif crop and has improved the prospects of a bumper rabi harvest.

National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has proposed Par-Tapi-Narmada Link Canal as a part of the National Project for inter-linking of Inter-State Rivers. The feasibility report has already been prepared and NWDA is preparing a detailed project report. This project will divert surplus waters of 1350 MCM of west flowing rivers such as Par, Auranga, Ambica and Purna. The formal tripartite MOU is likely to be signed soon.

Government of Gujarat has suggested to NWDA to prepare feasibility report and detailed project report for Damanganga-Sabarmati-Chorvad (Saurashtra) link as a separate new proposal which would help in mitigating problem of drought prone areas of the State. This should be considered by GOI at the earliest, he urged.

On front of new initiatives, Gujarat Chief Minister said that a unique “Chief Minister Fellowship Programme” is announced in which talented youth will be invited to join in governance to enhance new ideas. Moreover, secretary level officials should adopt developing Talukas to chalk out specific development agenda. Similarly, poor performing second schools will be adopted by them.

For rural economic development, two innovative programmes will be started – one is Animal Hostel and Gobar Bank in villages.

To overcome the challenges of climate change, Shri Modi asserted that the State Government has been a pioneer and has played a proactive role by taking up various initiatives such as providing a gas grid of about 2200 k.m. to control CO2 emission by way of providing cleaner fuel, providing environmental infrastructural facilities to control water pollution, providing alternative sources of energy such as solar & wind power, providing efficient public transport system to earn more carbon credits etc.

Climate Change department has been established to handle various issues the State has to face because of the climate change. It is initially proposed to provide a sum of Rs.35 crore during the current year.

Gujarat Planning Minister Shri Saurabhbhai Patel, Advisor to CM Shri S.K. Shelat, Chief Secretary, Shri D.Rajagopalan and senior officer from State Government attended the meeting.