K'taka Govt releases Rs 164 cr for Suvarna Gramodaya scheme

Bangalore, Feb 23 (UNI) The Karnataka Government has released Rs 164.70 crore for the ambitious Suvarna Gramodaya Scheme, under which over 1,000 villages in 26 districts would be comprehensively developed, Karnataka Panchayati Raj Minister C M Udasi said today.

Addressing newspersons here, he said the scheme, with a special focus on empowering people living in rural areas, would be formally launched by President A P J Abdul Kalam at Srinivasa Saradagi, a remote village at Chitapur taluk in Gulbarga district on February 25. Over 63 per cent of the villagers were Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes and 70 per cent of them were illiterates.

The Minister said that in the selected villages, minimum basic facilities would be provided, including drinking water, sanitation and electricity. Main focus would be on accelerating agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, sericulture and other land oriented activities. The scheme had components to stimulate non-agricultural activities to generate employment opportunities for educated youth in the villages.

UNI