New Delhi: The Planning Commission today approved a Rs 7700 crore plan outlay for Kerala for the year 2008-09,which is an increase of 10.8 per cent from the current fiscal.

The decision in this regard came after a meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and a Kerala delegation led by Chief Minister V S Achutanandan.
"We have managed to get an increase of Rs 750 crore in the next fiscal s plan outlay after the discussions," Achuthandan told reporters after the meeting here.

In its cabinet meeting on December 18,the Kerala government has ratified State Planning Board s decision to fix a plan outlay of Rs 7,605 crore for the year 2008-09. However, the Central Planning Commission has increased the plan outlay to Rs 7,700 crore.

There is also an increase in funds which the state can use independently from Rs 726 crore in the current fiscal to Rs 1156 crore in the next fiscal.

The outlay for local bodies has registered an increase fom Rs 1,790 crore to Rs 1,877 crore while for the social sector, the rise is from Rs 1,299 crore to Rs 1,554 crore. The government has identified IT and tourism as thrust areas along with agriculture, traditional industries and social welfare.

Source : PTI