NABARD sanctions over Rs 288 cr for rural infrastructure

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 288.682 crore as loan assistance to Karnataka Government for building up of rural infrastructure in various districts of the State.

The projects sanctioned cover Rural Roads, Bridges, land reclamation in CADAs of Malaprabha, Ghataprabha, Upper Krishna and Tungabhadra project areas, fisheries and Minor Irrigation (MI) projects, a NABARD statement said. These projects have been sanctioned under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF XVI) and the cumulative sanction to the State of Karnataka during the year 2010-11 stands at Rs 802.842 crore. Implementation of 346 rural road projects with a total length of 998.17 km and 21 rural bridge projects with a length of 576.66 metres is expected to benefit 29 districts connecting 1046 villages with 533 marketing centres, besides generation of non recurring employment to the tune of 72.59 lakh mandays. Implementation of the 39 MI projects is expected to increase the irrigation potential in 6 districts to 839.20 ha. Further, implementation of 30 land reclamation projects in six districts of Northern Karnataka under Command Areas of Malaprabha, Ghataprabha, Upper Krishna and Tungabhadra project areas will help to reclaim to reclaim 59454.60 ha of water logged lands, provide drainage of excess irrigation water and judicial use of the same subsequently and will protect the command area from floods, the statement said.