K'taka Cabinet to hasten gauge conversion works

Bangalore, Aug 30 (UNI) The Karnataka Cabinet today decided to hasten work on the Bidar-Gulbarga and Munirabad-Mahaboobnagar Broad Guage conversion to ensure rapid economic growth in the North Karnataka Region.

Briefing newspersons here after the Cabinet meeting, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj S Horatti said the state government would invest Rs 193 crore or nearly 50 per cent of the cost on the Bidar-Gulbarga work. It had already released Rs 20 crore for the project work this year.

For Munirabad-Mahaboobnagar Project, the state government would release 50 per cent of the Rs 700 crore required in a phased manner.

The Cabinet also decided to release Rs 128 crore grants due to 1,309 primary schools, 667 high schools and 102 junior colleges from June one, 1987 to 1992-93.

It also approved Rs 47 crore for construction of a government school building at Hassan.

He said the Cabinet gave its nod for direct recruitment in 14 departments to inject talented young blood into the administration.

It also decided to bifurcate the Horticulture Department from Agriculture in view of the growing importance being given to horticulture.

The Cabinet decided to revise sugar policy to ensure that no new factory was permitted in a radius of 15 km of an already existing unit.

UNI