New Delhi:
Planning Commission on Monday approved Tamil Nadu's Rs 37,128 crore annual plan for 2013-14, but Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa questioned UPA government's "planning and budgetary process" as the central assistance for last fiscal was cut by 20 per cent in revised estimates.
The state's annual plan outlay for 2013-14 was finalised in Delhi at a meeting between Commission's Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Ms Jayalalithaa.
Ms Jayalalithaa slammed the central government for not releasing the entire promised central assistance of Rs 3,473.48 crore to the state during the last fiscal.
"A 20 per cent cut was made by the government in the revised estimate in 2012-2013. Last year the central government budgeted plan assistance for Tamil Nadu at Rs 3,473.48 crore. Finally the Government of India released only Rs 2,762.14 crore," Ms Jayalalithaa said.
"So, the credibility of the entire planning and budgetary process has been undermined and the state finances and scheme implementation have been adversely affected as a result," the Chief Minister said.
She said the Commission had fixed additional central assistance for the state at Rs 160 crore for 2012-13, but only Rs 128.63 crore was actually released.
"The non-release of additional central assistance promised in a meeting of the Planning Commission at the level of Deputy Chairman with the state Chief Minister. It is a serious matter. And we hope that it is an aberration and will not be repeated again this year," she said.
Tamil Nadu had sought a Plan outlay of Rs 37,000 crore, she said.
She said that 91 per cent of the outlay of Rs 37,128 crore that the Commission finalised will be financed by the state's own resources and borrowings.