Date:03/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/03/stories/2008100355480600.htm

Karnataka

Projects under Rs. 100-crore grant to begin shortly

Staff Correspondent

As much as Rs. 55.5 crore will go towards
road development
Hubli-Dharwad to get Rs. 123.6 crore
under NKUSIP

HUBLI: Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar has said that the works under the Rs. 100 crore-grant sanctioned to Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC), by the State Government, were likely to begin by the end of December.

Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, Mr. Shettar said that HDMC officials were advised to prepare the action plan for Rs. 100 crore and they had got it ready.

He said HDMC officials had been asked to prepare the estimates for the works, the process of which had already begun.

“By the time the rainy season gets over, the officials would have finalised the tenders and issued work orders. By December-end the works would begin,” he said.

Allocation

In the action plan prepared by the HDMC, Rs. 55.5 crore has been earmarked for road development and Rs. 10.6 crore for beautification of junctions, development of recreation centres and bus shelters. It has earmarked Rs. 2 crore for development of graveyards, while Rs. 5.4 crore has been allocated for development of roads in villages that have been now brought under the HDMC. In the plan, Rs. 5 crore has been set aside for developing commercial complexes and Rs. 10 crore each for development of tanks and solid waste management.

Mr. Shettar said the Chief Minister had fulfilled most of the promises he had made during his first visit to the twin cities and subsequently allocated funds for various projects in the budget.

He said the Rs. 136 crore-project for the Malaprabha third stage drinking water supply project had been revised to Rs. 152 crore and the same was given sanction in the Cabinet meeting held at Gulbarga recently.

Mr. Shettar said Rs. 123.6 crore had been allocated to various developmental works like sewerage and sanitation works in the twin cities under the North Karnataka Urban Sector Investment Programme (NKUSIP), which would be implemented by the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure and Development Corporation (KUIDFC).

He said under the scheme, the Asian Development Bank was providing the loan to the State Government, which in turn would be passed on as grant to the local bodies. Mr. Shettar said that the execution of the works would begin within six months.