NABARD sanctions over Rs 288 cr for rural infrastructure

Bangalore, Feb 7 (PTI) National Bank for Agriculture andRural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 288.682 crore asloan assistance to Karnataka Government for building upof rural infrastructure in various districts of the State.

The projects sanctioned cover Rural Roads, Bridges, landreclamation in CADAs of Malaprabha, Ghataprabha, Upper Krishnaand Tungabhadra project areas, fisheries and Minor Irrigation(MI) projects, a NABARD statement said.

These projects have been sanctioned under the RuralInfrastructure Development Fund (RIDF XVI) and the cumulativesanction to the State of Karnataka during the year 2010-11stands at Rs 802.842 crore.

Implementation of 346 rural road projects with a totallength of 998.17 km and 21 rural bridge projects with a lengthof 576.66 metres is expected to benefit 29 districtsconnecting 1046 villages with 533 marketing centres, besidesgeneration of non recurring employment to the tune of 72.59lakh mandays. Implementation of the 39 MI projects isexpected to increase the irrigation potential in 6 districtsto 839.20 ha.

Further, implementation of 30 land reclamation projectsin six districts of Northern Karnataka under Command Areas ofMalaprabha, Ghataprabha, Upper Krishna and Tungabhadra projectareas will help to reclaim to reclaim 59454.60 ha of waterlogged lands, provide drainage of excess irrigation water andjudicial use of the same subsequently and will protect thecommand area from floods, the statement said.