NEW DELHI, June 6 (agencies): Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Wednesday met Manipur Chief Minister OIbobi Singh and said that infrastructure gap in the state needs to be bridged on priority.
Finalizing the annual plan for the year 2012-13 of Manipur, Ahluwalia said the state has been performing satisfactorily but the infrastructure gap in the state needs to be bridged.
“The State should encourage private participation in infrastructure development. The GSDP at current prices of the State has increased from Rs.5,133.66crore in 2004-05 to Rs.7,184.09 crore in 2010-11,” he added.
Briefing the commission on the development strategy of Manipur, OIbobi Singh said that the main thrust will be on reducing infrastructural deficit and expanding and strengthening capacity of key social sectors – Health, education, women and child welfare, nutrition and food security.
He said there is a need for closing the gap between the deprived local population and the rest of the country.
“It is therefore necessary that there is enough investment for expansion of social infrastructure for covering the disadvantaged section, backward, remote and border areas,” he added.
He said skill development programmes would be expanded to meet growing demand of industry and service sectors. He also said greater powers would be devolved to the hill area and new policy initiatives will be taken to encourage investments in these areas.