Educate Yourself Before Taking Credit Of Rs.14,000 Crore Plan: Dhindsa Dares Congress Party

 With Mere 12.32 Per Cent Centre Share Amounting To 1,725 Crore, Congress Cannot Hog Limelight For Rs.14,000 Crore

5 Dariya News

Chandigarh 16-May-2012

Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Minister for Finance and Planning, Punjab today said that Congress should educate itself about the basic facts of Planning process before jumping to take credit for passage of Rs.14,000 crore plan by Planning Commission. He said that with mere Centre share of 12.32 per cent amounting to Rs.1,725, Congress Party should not brashly rush to take credit for Rs.14,000 Plan as rest of the money i.e. 87.68 per cent amount of the actual plan, would be arranged by Punjab Government from its own resources.In a statement, Dhindsa said that it is just age old formality that state has to take prior approval of Centre Government for incurring 14,000 crore, whereas the main onus of arrangements of funds and implementation of the plan lies with the State Government.He said that it is a concrete fact that the Centre would only pay Rs.1,725 crore in the whole approved paln of Rs.14,000 crore. He said that the rest of money amounting to Rs.12,275 crore would be arranged by Punjab Government from its own resourceDhindsa said that the Centre impose impractical instructions for the implementation of most of the approved plans, which makes it difficult to implement the major plans in its true sense. He said that of the total 1,725 crore centre’s assistance, Rs.144 crore would be released under Additional Central Assistance (ACA), which is only 30 per cent of the total amount to be incurred on a particular plan. He said that the 70 per cent amount would be generated by the State Government.Dhindsa said that the Centre impose strict instructions on the implementation of major plans, which makes it complicated for the State Government to implement the plan. Citing an example, He said that the grant given by the Centre for irrigation projects are subjected to pursuance of strict instructions like; collection of usage charges from the farmerHe said that the collection of aabiana and other taxes from the already debt ridden farming community is not possible at all, which in turns means the denial of central assistance.Unfolding the false propaganda of special assistance for border area districts given under annual plan by the Congress, , Dhindsa explained that during 2011-12 annual plan, the amount released for this project was Rs.32.92 crore, which was scantly increased to the level Rs.35.26 crore.Dhindsa said that Punjab got meager amount of 1.389 per cent from the total disbursement of Central taxes to all the stateHe said that Uttar Pradesh get 19.677 per cent, Bihar 10.917 per cent, West Bengal 7.264 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 7.120 per cent, Andhra Pradesh 6.973, Rajasthan 5.853 and Maharashatra gets 5.199 per cent share from the kitty of central taxes.