Karnataka cabinet approves Rs 3,885 crore for projects by ULBs

Funds for ULBs are being granted under the chief minister’s Amrit Nagarotthana scheme and are allocated for a five-year period ending in the 2024-25 fiscal

The Cabinet, on Thursday, granted administrative approval to urban local bodies (ULBs) to prepare action plans for projects worth Rs 3,885 crore.

It also decided to raise loans worth Rs 1,167 crore from the World Bank to fund the ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission to provide tap water connections to every rural household.

Funds for ULBs are being granted under the chief minister’s Amrit Nagarotthana scheme and are allocated for a five-year period ending in 2024-25 fiscal.

Under the scheme, city municipal councils in 23 district centres and first-grade town municipal councils will receive Rs 40 crore each, totalling Rs 920 crore.

Further, 38 city municipal councils are allocated Rs 30 crore each (totalling Rs 1,140 crore), 124 town municipal corporations will receive Rs 10 crore each (Rs 1,240 crore in total) and 117 town panchayats will receive Rs 5 crore each, totalling Rs 585 crore.

Briefing reporters, Law Minister J C Madhuswamy said local authorities are directed to prepare an action plan at the earliest for the release of funds.

The total expenditure for the three-phased implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission is Rs 9,152 crore. Madhuswamy said that while 45% of the expenditure is borne by the Centre, 45% of the expense was by the state government and the remaining 10% by the respective local bodies.

While Rs 3,890 crore will be sanctioned by the Centre, the state has decided to raise Rs 1,167 crore as a loan from the World Bank. The rest Rs 1,372 crore will be raised by gram panchayats, he said.

In other decisions, the Cabinet sanctioned Rs 406.44 crore to supply IT equipment to sub-registrar offices in the state.

It also decided to waive land transport cess, which was supposed to be collected in BBMP limits. Cess amounting to around Rs 238 crore for the years 2013-14 to 2020-21 is due, a point flagged by the CAG.

The Cabinet cleared Rs 93.5 crore to fill 22 lakes in Bengaluru and Doddakere at Hoskote by pumping water from KR Puram treatment plant, Rs 19.73 crore for works on Karkala court complex, revised estimate of Rs 16.8 crore for the Mulbagal court complex works and Rs 16.5 crore for completion of works on the Dr Ambedkar Bhavan in Mysuru.

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