Odisha plan size to rise 24.63% to Rs. 21,500 crore

Odisha plan size to rise 24.63% to Rs. 21,500 croreThe Plan size for this year for the state of Odisha is set to rise 24.63 per cent to Rs. 21,500 crore compared to Rs. 17,250 crore recorded in the previous year. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of Planning Commission met to discuss the plan size for the state.

Ahluwalia said, "The performance is satisfactory and efforts at improving human development indicators are appreciable. Progress has been reached during the 11th Plan in all sectors including agriculture. Focus on human development needs to be continued."

He also said that human development indicators have been improving across all the regions in the state. The overall literacy rate for the state has increased to 73.45 per cent compared to national average of 74.04 per cent in 2011. He also said that the gender gap in literacy has come down by 24.84 per cent in 2001 to 18.04 per cent in 2011.

The Plan panel deputy chairman said that there is a need for encouraging public private partnership in both physical and social sector development in the state. The state was also praised for recording highest ever poverty reduction during 2004-05 to 2009-10. Poverty fell from 57.2 per cent to 37 per cent during the period.