'Rs 50,000 cr earmarked for irrigation schemes in State'

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that funds worth Rs 50,000 crore will be utilised by the State government for various irrigation schemes in the State, in the next five years.

He said of the proposed amount of Rs 50,000 crore, Rs 10,000 crore will be set aside for irrigation projects in the budget, this year. The emphasis is on for irrigation in the first budget which is yet to be tabled by the State government.

He was speaking to mediaperons after offering ‘Bagina’ to Kabini reservoir, here on Saturday. Siddaramaiah said plans are afoot to irrigate 9.74 lakh hectare land in the next five years, as a measure to increase cultivable land in the State. Instructions had been given to fill all the 34 lakes in rivers Cauvery and Kabini basins, as an important measure to rejuvenate the depleting groundwater levels in the region. All the canals will be modernised in the Cauvery basin. Steps will be taken to utilise the 177 TMC of water allotted to the State in the Upper Krishna Project.

The upcoming budget will focus on the comprehensive development of the State, with special emphasis on power, education, health, drinking water, housing and rural development, he said.

A Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being readied to develop a park on 240 acres of land near the Kabini reservoir, he said. 

On the Anna Bhagya scheme scheduled to be launched from July 10, he said BPL families will get 30 kg of rice at Re one per kilo. It will be a unit-based scheme under which a person is eligible to receive 10 kg of rice, while a family can receive a maximum of 30 kg.

 KRS crosses 100 feet mark

There has been an increase in the inflow into the Krishna Raja Sagara dam in Mandya district, with water levels crossing 100 feet mark.

On Saturday, the water level increased by five feet and the inflow almost doubled. By evening, the inflow into the dam stood at 41,278 cusecs and the outflow stood at 1,642 cusecs. The water level was recorded at 103.42 feet.