Shimla: The meeting of State Planning Board today approved an Annual Plan size of Rs. 6300 crore for the year 2018-19. The plan has an increase of 10.51 percent as compared to last year Annual Plan of Rs. 5700 crore.

Social Services Sector, Transport and Communication, Agriculture & allied activities, Energy and Irrigation and Flood Control etc. have been given added priority in Annual Plan.

An outlay of Rs. 2548 crore has been proposed for social service sector, followed by transport and communication with proposed outlay of Rs.1095 crore. The third priority has been accorded to agriculture and allied activities sector for which an outlay of Rs. 844 crore has been proposed while energy sector is proposed Rs. 682 crore. Rs. 431 crore has been proposed for irrigation and flood control and Rs. 285 crore for general economic services while other sectors are proposed Rs. 415 crore.

Chief Minister said that Rs. 653 crore has been proposed under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), loan funding from NABARD. He said that under this a sum of Rs. 368 crore has been proposed for roads and bridges, Rs. 130 crore for rural water supply schemes, Rs. 110 crore for minor irrigation schemes, Rs. 38 crore for micro irrigation and poly houses (Agriculture) besides flood control and food and civil supply sectors.