JOIN USCabinet approves rural road projects worth Rs 3,658 crore
The State Cabinet on Thursday went on a financial-approval spree clearing two rural road improvement projects worth Rs 3,658 crore in 189 Assembly constituencies across the State.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri said that under one scheme, 30 km of rural roads will be developed in each of the 189 Assembly segments at a cost of Rs 42 lakh per km — which includes a maintenance period of five years.
Jurisdictional MLAs have already started identification of the stretches which need to be improved. A total of 5,728 km of rural roads will be developed under the scheme.
In addition, another 20 km of village roads will be improved in each of these 189 Assembly constituencies (selected as they have large rural pockets) under the Chief Minister Rural Roads Development Fund at a cost of Rs 1,245 crore. This project christened “Namma Grama, Namma Raste” will take up the improvement of 3,714 km of rural roads, Kageri said. Both projects had been mentioned in the State budget for the fiscal 2012-13.
Financial help
The Cabinet decided to approve Rs 50 crore special grants to the cash-strapped North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) to buy new buses. Kageri said the new buses will ply on rural routes improving connectivity in Mumbai-Karnataka region.
The Cabinet gave its nod for modernisation of right and left banks canal of Tungabhardra (Vijayanagar canals) at a cost of Rs 255 crore. The modernisation of the decades-old canals will help in irrigation of various pockets in Koppal, Raichur and Bellary districts. Kageri said the Cabinet decided to set up an agriculture college at Gangavathi in Koppal district at a cost of Rs 46.5 crore.
The Cabinet also decided to provide government AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) doctors pay scales on a par with allopathic counterparts. “Their move would benefit around 600 Ayush doctors and cost the state exchequer around Rs 10 crore per year,” he said.
In another decision, the Cabinet approved providing 50 acres of land to Bellary Garments Exports Manufacturing Association in Haladahalli in Bellary taluk for setting up a garment manufacturing zone. The land would be allotted by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board.
Relief to MP
The Cabinet decided to waive dues amounting to Rs 13 lakh accumulated by former Lok Sabha MP A Siddaraju accumulated while staying at the Cauvery Guest House in Bangalore between 1998 and 2004.
Kageri said that Siddaraju had suffered a leg fracture in an accident and was recuperating at the government-run guest house.
“He has paid Rs 2 lakh dues and had sought a waiver for the remaining amount. We obliged on humanitarian grounds,” he added.