Ranchi: The Jharkhand govt is likely to seek a total allocation of Rs 1,200 crore from the 16th Finance Commission during a meeting officials concerned here on May 28 and the funds received would be utlised for promption of health, drinking water, education, agriculture and allied activities, skill development and connecting roads in districts.A high-level meeting chaired by finance minister Radha Krishana Kishore decided that the state would request Rs 10 crore per district for five years, amounting to Rs 1,200 crores.Govt sources said the aid would be needed, particularly in view of the reduction in special central assistance to the state for LWE-affected districts. The Union home ministry was providing funds for the development of 19 extremist-affected districts of the state since 2017-18.

The state govt said the financial assistance was being used for the development of infrastructure, skill and entrepreneurship, and the building of connecting roads for remote villages in these districts.Now, the number of districts in this regard has been reduced to five in the 2023-24 financial year. Currently, central assistance under the LWE-hit area scheme is provided only to Chaibasa, Gumla, Giridih, Latehar and Lohardaga districts.

According to the state govt, the districts which have been removed from the list LWE-affected areas would still require development funds, and the youth from these districts need regular employment and skill development programmes for their integration into the mainstream.Moreover, the govt said 80% of the population, which is dependent on agriculture for livelihood, practised only single cropping in most parts of the state due to the lack of irrigation facilities. The sowing of Kharif crops is also much lower than the cultivable land, it said. The lack of water conservation facilities, people also face drinking water problems in the summer season. Given these circumstances, there is immense scope for agriculture development if proper funding is provided, the govt said.The govt is also aiming to improve the infrastructure of angnawadi centres and schools from the fund received from the commission. The state had taken up 1,000 schemes in the first and second phases with central assistance, and it feels that the schemes should continue in rural areas.