Planning Commission finalized the Annual Plan for Maharashtra

The annual plan for the financial year 2013-14 of 49000 crore rupees was finalized for Maharashtra on 16 May 2013 by the Planning Commission of India (PCI). Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan together finalized the plan. In addition to this the PSE plan at 31500 crore rupees was also fixed during the meeting making an aggregate plan of 80500 crore rupees.  

The planning commission praised Maharashtra government for making appreciable efforts to reduce poverty in the state as the poverty ratio of the state registered a decline of 13.7 percent point to 24.5 percent in 2009-10 when compared from 2004-05. The commission also suggested the state to make efforts on its way to reduce head-count ratio of consumption poverty by 10 percent points, by the end of 12th five year plan.

During the 11th Five Year Plan, the state achieved an average GSDP growth rate of 8.6 percent against the targeted 9.1 despite of the global slowdown. In 2011-12, the per capita NSDP of Maharashtra was recorded at 64951 rupees, which stood ahead of the per capita NSDP of Haryana that was 62825 rupees and Tamil Nadu that was 54550 rupees.

During the 11th five year plan Industry Sector it achieved a growth rate of 8.1 percent against the target of 8.0 percent and was higher than the growth rate achieved by the country at 7.2 percent.

In the health sector, the IMR, IMMR, child malnutrition and anaemia among women in Maharashtra are less than the national average with IMR and IMMR in the State is 25 (SRS, 2011) and the 104 (SRS, 2007-09) respectively and in rural area the IMR (30) and urban IMR (17).

Maharashtra is looking forward to make concerted efforts towards improvement of literacy rate and elimination of the gender and social gap in school enrolment by the end of 12th Five Year Plan. The state also laid attention towards the large gender gap in literacy rate of 14.34 percentage point with literacy rate of male at 89.92 percent and female 75.48 percent.

In the 12th Plan period, the State Government announced that drought proofing, balanced industrial growth along with infrastructure development would be given priority. Social sector would continue to get priority and investment from private sector would be encouraged.

As part of decentralised planning decided to reserve 50 per cent of elected seats in the District Planning Committees for woman and to strengthen the district level plan, the State Government has proposed an allocation of 5,200 crore rupees in the District Plan.