AP pips Karnataka in rural implementation : Raghuvansh

New Delhi, Apr 26 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh has beaten its 'IT superior' neighbour Karnataka in the implementation of various rural development programmes according to a comparative analysis by Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.

Dr Singh, a college teacher turned minister, told newspersons that he was impressed by the performance of Andhra Pradesh, in particular the subsidised loans to Self Help Groups.

Because of the state subsidy, the 24,535 SHGs consisting of 100338 beneficiaries were getting seed capital at a mere four per cent, the Minister said.

''I want Finance Minister to take note of this experiment and ask all states to follow Andhra example,'' he said.

During 2005-06 the Central funds to the state was Rs 1503 crore and the state had spent Rs 892 crore till February 2006 and the rules allows the state to roll over 15 per cent of the unspent money for implementation in the initial phase of the next fiscal.

The state had spent Rs 840 crores under Prime Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana building 8222 kms of roads connecting 835 habirations and proposed to build 8,597 km of roads under Bharat Nirman at a cost of Rs 472 crore.

Karnataka on the other hand had received Rs 925 crore of central funds during 2005-06, had spent Rs 587 crore till February 2006.

Its performance was very bad in rural sanitation and he had personally written to the Chief Minister to improve the state of affairs, Mr Singh said.

Last year the money received by the state was 'zero' and this year there had been improvement. The state was also lagging behind in the implementation of PM Gram Sadak Yojana, but this year ''things had improved,'' he said.

Since both states fared ''satisfactorily'' in implementation, he found both states equal, Dr Singh said adding how can both the states be accorded the same grade. ''Andhra gets first class Karnataka comes second,'' he remarked. Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had met Dr Singh to inform him that he had taken over the reigns of administration only recently.

''I want to give him time,'' Dr Singh remarked.

When a reporter asked what was his prescription for Telangana region, Dr Singh, who is also a member of the Pranab Kumar Mukherjee Committee to consider creation of new states said, ''I want more development to be delivered to Telangana before they attain statehood.'' Asked about the response of the parties on creation of separate Telangana state, he said his own RJD, NCP, BSP, Lok Jan Shakti Party supported its creation while Communist Parties and Telugu Desam Party were totally opposed to the move.

The Congress, Shiv Sena, DMK and BJP were silent on the issue, he said.

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