NABARD assistance to HP crosses Rs 1800 crore

Shimla, Mar 19 (UNI) The National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned a loan of Rs 100.56 crore to Himachal Pradesh for the construction of 23 rural roads, three flood protection works, 60 minor irrigation and 15 rural drinking projects under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).

Mr Raghuraman said that flood protection works include Phase-II (Stage-1) of Swan River Flood Management and Integrated Land Management Project in Una district, involving a total cost of Rs 40.11 crore, NABARD Chief General Manager ST Raghuraman said here.

He said roads and bridges would be constructed in Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kinnaur, Mandi, Sirmour, Solan and Shimla districts, connecting 153 villages.

Rural drinking water supply schemes would benefit 51,218 people in Bilaspur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Sirmour, Solan and Una districts, he said.

Mr Raghuraman said minor irrigation schemes would provide assured irrigation to about 2,500 hectare of land of the state and added that the bank's aggregate sanctions for this year have touched Rs 300 crore.

In all, the bank has sanctioned a sum of Rs 1,812 crore to the state under the RIDF of which Rs 1,144 crore has been disbursed to Himachal, he added.

The NABARD has, so far, sanctioned 1,332 irrigation projects, 547 projects for rural roads and 177 bridges, 118 watershed development schemes, 34 flood protection works, 1,213 primary school buildings, 64 science laboratories in schools, 25 IT projects, 354 rural drinking water supply schemes and 19 animal husbandry centres and hospitals.

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