The Hindu : Steps taken to tackle drought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 27, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Steps taken to tackle drought

By Our Staff Correspondent

Koppal Jan. 26. The district in-charge Minister, Mallikarjuna Nagappa, has said that the Government has initiated effective measures for drought relief works and improving the rural economy.

He was speaking after unfurling the National Flag at the Government Girls' Junior College Ground here on Sunday on the occasion of Republic Day.

He said farmers in the district were in distress because of drought. However, the Government had taken steps to release sufficient funds and foodgrains. Steps had also been taken to generate employment for the rural people and mitigate the drinking water shortage by implementing various schemes. This year, Rs.170 lakh was spent on constructing 1,088 houses in the district under the Ashraya and Ambedkar schemes. Another 495 houses were to be completed under the Ashraya Scheme before the end of March. Further, 4,500 houses had been sanctioned under various rural housing schemes, he said.

He said the Government had released Rs.492.97 lakh to tackle the drinking water problem in the district. Of this, Rs.388.71 lakh had been spent on 264 new borewells in all the four taluks. An action plan for Rs.39 lakh had been prepared to augment water supply in the villages. The Government had implemented many Union Government schemes, including the Prime Minister's Gramodyoga Yojana, the Prime Minister's Gram Sadak Yojna, the Sampoorna Gramina Rojgar Yojana, and the Swarna Jayanthi Yojana, to improve rural transportation, construction of houses, and employment generation.

The minister said the Government had also taken up the construction of classrooms with NABARD assistance.

It also implemented many watershed programmes to improve irrigation in the dry-land areas.

An additional Rs.3.93 crore had been spent on improving drinking water supply, and construction of classrooms and anganwadi buildings.

H.G. Ramulu, MP, Karadi Sanganna, MLA, Kariyanna Sangti, MLC, N. Nagambika Devi, Deputy Commissioner, and S. Ravi, Superintendent of Police, were present.

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