Development Authority for Bundelkhand proposed

Bhopal, Feb 26 (UNI) Concerned over development of the backward Bundelkhand region, the Madhya Pradesh government has proposed to set up a Bundelkhand Development Authority (BDA), Finance Minister Raghavji announced in the Assembly today.

While presenting the Budget for 2007-08, he said that the BDA would prepare development schemes keeping in view the region's special circumstances.

Dwelling on industrial development, he said that since 2004, the state signed memoranda of understanding for capital investment of Rs 37,767 crore. The government was endeavouring to set up a petrochemical complex at Bina, where work on a refinery was progressing.

Allocation for urban development was doubled to Rs 904.47 crore.

Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Bus Rapid Transport Projects would be implemented at Bhopal and Indore at a cost of Rs 237.76 crore and Rs 98.48 crore respectively.

The Centre cleared 31 projects costing Rs 1,492 crore under JNNURM in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Ujjain.

Claiming that the state succeeded in attracting private investment in road development, Mr Raghavji said that a provision of Rs 1,732.72 crore was made in the budget for road laying in 2007-08 and it was 47.13 percent higher than 2006-07. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), 4,000 km would be constructed. The government would provide road links to 2,574 villages not fulfilling PMGSY norms.

On the energy front, he said that the generation capacity was enhanced by 1,895 MW since 2004. The Birsinghpur thermal extension unit would start generation in March and a unit at Amarkantak Station in July, 2007. The Omkareshwar hydel unit would begin generation in April this year.

Mr Raghavji said that the demand-supply gap would be bridged in 2007-08. Admitting that transmission and distribution losses were much higher than the national average, he said that assistance of Rs 2,770 crore was being sought from Asian Development Bank to strengthen the system.

During 2007-08, it was proposed to provide 3,518 middle schools their own buildings. Upgradation of 100 middle schools and 40 high schools was also proposed, while 20 ashrams with seating capacity of 50 each were proposed for tribal students. Stipend for boys and girls belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was being raised to Rs 500 and Rs 525 from Rs 350 and Rs 360 respectively.

UNI