1343 gram panchayats in K'taka to be provided infrastructure

Karkala, Karnataka, Aug 19 (UNI) Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister C M Udasi today said 1,343 gram panchayats in 39 most backward villages have been identified for provision of infrastructural facilities as per the recommendations of the Nanjundappa Committee, at a cost of Rs 600 crore.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the Government would spend Rs 38 lakh on each identified gram panchayat over the next five years to help arrest the exodus of rural youths to urban areas.

Mr Udasi said the Government had also decided to sanction Rs 21 lakh to each taluk panchayat in the State, including Rs 14 lakh for setting up 'Samarthya Soudha' and Rs three lakh for purchasing furniture. On the lines of the centre in Mysore to train elected representatives of panchayati raj institutions, the Government proposed to set up centres in Davangere, Hubli and Gulbarga.

The Minister said that under the Central employment guarantee scheme, the State Government had sent a proposal for selection of eight districts this year, apart from the three selected by the Centre last year.

To a query, he said the Government had identified 152 gram panchayats from 14 districts as naxal-infested and Rs 15-20 crore had been spent on various development activities there.

Mr Udasi said that to give more thrust to rural development, the JD(S)-BJP Government had enhanced the grant to panchayati raj institutions to the tune of Rs 4,319 crore. The release of grants to gram panchayat, taluk panchayat and zilla panchayat was hitherto in the ratio of 20:30:50, but from this year it would be 48:23:29.

He said the Government had increased the daily wages under Swarna Jayanthi Swarojgar Yojna to Rs 69 from Rs 62.50 and changed the system of payment from cash to cheque.

Later laying the foundation stones for various development works at a total cost of Rs 23.68 lakh in the naxal-hit backward village of Idu, about 20 km from here, the Minister said the JD(S)-BJP Government had alloted Rs 4,350 crore for rural development out of the total budgetary allocation of Rs 45,000 crore.

UNI MA GD TS1836