Post-facto approval for funding mining exploration

The Cabinet on Thursday accorded post-facto administrative approvals for Rs 146.76 crore, released towards exploration of iron ore and manganese reserves in Karnataka to Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) and Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL).

Of the amount, Rs 65.23 crore was sanctioned to MECL and the remaining amount was for exploration works taken up by KIOCL. Administrative approval for Rs 21.29 crore for fresh exploration of minerals was also granted by the Cabinet.

The government scrapped the appointment of parliamentary secretaries in the state, based on directions of the Supreme Court. "We have repealed all the laws regarding the same," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said.

Other decisions in the meeting included approval for the Rs 549 crore released for extending the Budihal-Peerapura lift irrigation project, which will benefit 17,805 hectares of land.

Of the amount, Rs 234 crore will be released this year. The Cabinet also consented to prepare a detailed project report for a project to fill 197 lakes to at a cost of Rs 1,288 crore in Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts.

Rejuvenation of Harangi dam in Kodagu district at a cost of Rs 130 crore was also approved.

The Cabinet also okayed Rs 13.95 crore, Rs 15.82 crore and Rs 12.8 crore, for construction of new court complexes at Devadurga, Lingsugur and Somwarpet.

Construction of a men's hostel at University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bengaluru and PG and PhD hostel at Jnanabharathi campus, costing Rs 30.85 crore was also cleared.

It also upgraded several gram panchayats to town panchayats, some of which include Bajpe in Dakshina Kannada district, Srirampura, Bogadi and Kadakola in Mysuru district.