Assam’s Annual Plan outlay for the 2011-12 financial year has been finalized at nine thousand crore rupees. The plan outlay of the State was finalized after a meeting between the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in New Delhi today afternoon. This was an increase of 1,355 crore rupees over the last Annual Plan outlay of the State. Of this, 6,286 crore rupees is Central assistance and 2,714 crore from State’s own resources. The Central Special Plan Assistance has been doubled from last year’s four hundred crore rupees to eight hundred crore rupees this year. After finalizing the plan size, the Chief Minister Mr.Gogoi said that the State Government has given major thrust to education, human resource development, capacity building and skill development to generate more employment opportunities, strengthening of healthcare facilities, rural development, rural marketing, power generation and transmission during the current fiscal. He said special focus would also be given to the agriculture sector and that new schemes were being introduced to popularize better technologies in farming. The Deputy Chairman lauded the State’s performance in the agriculture sector and the improvement in the health and education sectors. Ahluwalia urged the State to put in more efforts to reduce infant mortality and maternal mortality rates.