J&K annual plan finalization by mid-Feb

KT NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, Jan 28: The annual plan for J&K for the year 2009-10 will be finalized by mid-February.

Sources in the union capital maintained that after the completion of the spadework for annual plan finalization, which is presently on in the form of resource meeting between the officers of state Finance team and Planning Commission, the latter may give the state government tentative date of February 5 or 9 for the final meeting.

"In any case, the annual plan for J&K would be finalized by mid-February," the sources added.

The sources stated that the central government will go for vote on account by February 15 to be followed by the finalization of plans for different states.

Sources maintained that even the state government might go for Vote on Account.

Earlier the team of state Finance department led by Economic Advisor Jalil Ahmed Khan today initiated resource meetings with the Planning Commission of India (PCI) for the projection of demands.

The meet lasted three hours.

The team also comprised Commissioner Secretary Finance B B Vyas, Director Budget R K Magotra and director Finance.

However, minister for Finance Abdul Rahim Rather, while talking to 'The Kashmir Times', maintained, "Our officers held discussions with the Planning Commission officers today.

Our team was headed by our Economic Advisor.

This exercise, in fact, is the part of spadework for the final meeting pertaining to plan finalization.

During this exercise, the discussions revolve around the the resources available with state, projection of demands and how much the Government of India can give." He added that after the initial discussions, which may continue even tomorrow in case some issues remained inconclusive, the final meet would be held with the Planning Commission for plan finalisation.

"During that meeting, I would be there accompanying the Chief Minister.

Besides us, same officers' team would be there." This needs to mention here that last year the state's annual plan 2008-09 was finalized on January 12, 2008 at Rs 4,500 Cr.

CWC meet to dwell on challenges from Left, BJP NEW DELHI, Jan 28: With the Lok Sabha polls drawing near, the Congress Working Committee meeting in New Delhi on Thursday is expected to finalise the strategy to take on the challenges from the Left and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Going to the Parliamentary polls for the first time after sharing power at the Centre, the Congress is likely to give finishing touches to its poll manifesto as also decide on the campaign theme.

The meeting to be presided over by party chief Sonia Gandhi.

The party expects the dates for the Lok Sabha elections to be announced by March and the CWC will take stock of the poll preparedness of the party for the gruelling election months ahead, they said.

The coming elections will witness a three-corner contest between the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the Left parties, which are trying to form a third alternative along with several regional parties.

Gandhi, who is also the UPA chairperson, has already declared that the Congress would fight the elections as part of the coalition.

She had given clear indications that the UPA would go to the polls projecting Manmohan Singh as its prime ministerial candidate.

The CWC is also likely to discuss the claims of various UPA allies like the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Nationalist Congress Party for seat-sharing in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra respectively.

The four states - UP, Bihar, Maharashtra and West Bengal - together will send 212 members to the Lok Sabha and it is crucial for the party to perform well in these states along with their allies, to retain power at the Centre.

The other states, where the party hopes to enter into an alliance with regional parties are Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir, among others.

The seat-sharing formula in these states is also likely to figure in the CWC discussions.

With youth being the flavour of the political season, the focus would be on key leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, in the advertisement campaign to be launched by the party soon for the polls.

Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh would be the two other stars in the ad blitzkrieg.

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