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Mangalore, Oct 26 (The Hindu): The Dakshina Kannada District Planning Committee in its first meeting on Monday approved a Rs. 1,799.25-crore five-year integrated district development plan for 2007-12.

P. Shivashankar, Member-Secretary of the committee and chief executive officer of the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, told the meeting that the Centre had directed States in 2008 to form district planning committees to prepare a five-year development plans on the lines of the Union Government.

The committee came into force after a year following the formalities of its formation.

The Government allowed hiring an agency to prepare the five-year Plan.

The plan for Dakshina Kannada has been prepared by the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore.

The Rs. 1,799.25-crore plan meant fund demand from gram panchayats, taluk panchayats, urban local bodies and the zilla panchayat for development works in the district.

It takes into account actual amount spent from these bodies in the last three financial years and projected demand for 2010-11 and 2011-12, he said.

It is the first five-year plan of the district. It will be sent to the State Government for approval.

U.T. Khader, Mangalore MLA, said there was no point in discussing the plan as it had lost relevance. The committee should gear up to prepare the next five-year plan for 2012-17.

The document of the plan said that there was a need for more primary health centres in rural areas in the district as they were below State average.

The number of people who get benefit from medical institutes in the district was less when compared with State average.

Mayor Rajani Dugganna, president of the zilla panchayat K. Santosh Kumar Bhandary and Commissioner of Mangalore City Corporation K.N. Vijayaprakash were present.