Bhubaneswar, March 28 (IANS): The State Planning Board of Odisha has met only once in the last 11 years while no proposal for state budget preparation was approved in the meeting.

Replying to a written question of BJP MLA Dilip Ray, Planning and Coordination Minister Usha Devi told the assembly that the planning board has met only once in the last 11 years even though formulation of policy guidelines for short-term and long-term Annual Plan and Five Year Plan is part of the activities of the board.

She said though the planning board meeting was held on October 15, 2007, it did not approve any proposal for preparation of state budget or Five Year Plan. This is the only meeting that has been held by the Plan Panel since 2004.

The minister, however, denied that the plan panel could not meet every year at regular intervals as its chairman (chief minister) could not devote time for it. Ray in December last year had also wanted to know the number of meetings the panel held in the last 15 years. The planning and coordination minister replied that the board had met only thrice in the last 15 years beginning from 2003.