Planning Commission Team to Begin KBK Visit

Outlook, Oct 18, 2010
A three-member panel of the Planning Commission headed by its Member Abhijeet Sen today arrived here to make assessment of socio-economic condition tribal population in Orissa's KBK (Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput) region, official sources said.
Besides Sen, Planning Commission's senior advisor L P Sonekar and its deputy advisor Indira Patnaik would visit Koraput and Rayagada districts which were recently hit by cholera and diarrhoea.
This was the first time that a Planning Commission team is visiting the KBK region during the rule of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in the state in backdrop of health hazards in the districts.
"We will got to Rayagada and Koraput," Sen told reporters before leaving to the KBK region.
Earlier, Sena and the planning commission panel, reviewed situation in KBK at a meeting here attended by the chief secretary B K Patnaik, KBK chief administrator Santosh Kumar and other senior secretaries.
Sen stressed on the drinking water facilities and other health measures in KBK region, particularly in Rayagada district where cholera deaths had been a routine affairs.
KBK to get more funds under new scheme after expiry of RLTAP

Scotching apprehension that the Centre could stop funds for Orissa's tribal dominated KBK (Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput) region, Planning Commission today said it would pump more money in the area in order to improve socio-economic condition of people there.
"There is no question of stopping funds for the development of KBK region. Rather, more funds will flow to the backward region," Planning Commission Member Abhijeet Sen told PTI here.
Sen said: "as the tenure of revised long term action plan (RLTAP) for KBK has expired, fund would be provided under a new scheme."
RLTAP, which was being implemented in KBK region from 1998-99 expired in 2006-07, sparking apprehension in the state government that the Centre could stop funding the welfare schemes in the region.
The state's apprehension was caused by delay in Planning Commission approval to its Rs 4,500 crore special KBK plan. State government's draft plan for the KBK was waiting approval of the Planning Commission since January 2009.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik last week wrote a letter to the Prime Minister seeking early approval of the special KBK plan.