Shimla, Feb 26 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Thursday said the state government has proposed an annual plan outlay of Rs.4,800 crore for the next fiscal which was Rs.400 crore higher than the last annual plan.

Presiding over the meeting of the state planning board here, he said the government proposed to make a provision of Rs.1,209 crore under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan, Rs.432 crore under the Tribal Area Sub-Plan and Rs.60 crore under the Backward Area Sub- Plan.

An official statement quoting the chief minister said that for the social welfare sector an outlay of Rs.1,842 crore was proposed. "The social welfare sector has been top priority and is 38.37 percent of the total plan estimates."

For transport and communication, a sum of Rs.887 crore has been proposed, which is 18.5 percent of the total plan outlay, he said.

Considering the importance of the energy sector as an important component for development, he said an outlay of Rs.642.20 crore, which included loan and equity to the Asian Development Bank-assisted projects, has been proposed.

In the horticulture and agriculture sectors the proposed outlay is Rs.512 crore, which is 10.7 percent of the total plan outlay, the chief minister said.

Expressing gratitude to the 14th Finance Commission, Virbhadra Singh said the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission have come as a bonanza for the state, which would see a 232 percent increase in the allocation of funds.

The hill state, whose economy depends largely upon tourism, horticulture and hydropower generation, has got the enhanced grant of Rs.40,625 crore as recommended by the 14th Finance Commission.