K'taka awaiting funds for PURA

Mysore, Mar 11: Karnataka Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development C M Udasi today (Mar 11, 2006) said that funds are awaited from the Centre for implementing the Rs 600 Crore Providing Urban Facilities in Rural Areas (PURA) programme in the selected 24 districts of the State.

He was speaking after Inaugurating a day-long seminar on PURA jointly organised by Inter Disciplinary Co-ordination Committee, the Institution of Engineers and Karnataka Land Army Corporation Limited here.

Mr Udasi said the State has sent proposal for inclusion Mysore, Davanagere, Gulbarga and Bangalore Urban Districts in the Centre sponsored PURA programme which envisages providing connecting roads in the rural areas and communication net work and knowledge to the rural mass. The project aims at bridging gap between Urban and Rural mass in terms of their lifestyle and quality by providing all facilities which was in the urban areas. Another object was the rural people should stay in their places and enjoy facilities of the urban areas, he added.

He said that 28,000 villages and one town selected in each of the 24 districts would be covered under the programme. The Karnataka Government would also release Rs 24 crores for the project and necessary procedure has been taken with the consult of the finance Ministry and funds would be released soon, he added.

About 100 delegations, including engineers, from all over the country are taking part in the seminar.

UNI