Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia with Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in New Delhi on Wednesday. A Telegraph picture

New Delhi, Dec. 14: Bengal will receive a plan outlay of Rs 8024.36 crore for 2006-07, which is 24 per cent higher than last year?s allocation. This includes an additional central assistance of Rs 100 crore for priority schemes.

This was decided at a meeting between Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia here today.

Bhattacharjee, who briefed the commission on the development plan of the state, said the focus would be on the social services sector. Priority will also be given to energy and power, transport, rural development, special area development programme, and irrigation and flood control.

He said more than 90 per cent of the outlay would be earmarked for these six sectors.

An expert panel has also been set up, headed by Planning Commission member V.L. Chopra, which will submit a comprehensive report on the Sunderban forest area. The panel will give its recommendations on coastal management, forest wildlife, livelihood of people and other related aspects.

Bhattacharjee said efforts were on to revive sick public sector units (PSUs) through the joint venture route and the second phase of PSU restructuring would be launched soon. Emphasis will also be on secondary education.

The programme for universal education is expected to be completed in the Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-2007) and the focus will then shift to secondary education.

Bengal finance minister Asim Dasgupta said the size of the annual plan would increase by about Rs 1,400 crore provided the state debt burden was reduced to the national average of 7.5 per cent.

Dasgupta said the state government would adopt measures to avoid borrowing from the market and would try to meet the requirements through additional resource generation.

The Planning Commission has agreed to look into the high debt burden of the state, Dasgupta added. The revenue of the state has increased by about 15 per cent after the introduction of value-added tax, he said.

According to Ahluwalia, Bengal needs to urgently improve and strengthen infrastructure to develop special economic zones (SEZs) and broad-base economic activities.

He also asked the state government to adopt a cluster approach to develop the small-scale sector. The state government, he said, should prepare village and district plans and also special component plans according to the guidelines of the Centre.